


You're Not Alone

by D0uble0hD0nut



Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: BDSM, Hybrids, Kidnapping, M/M, Romance, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-28
Updated: 2015-12-09
Packaged: 2017-12-21 14:36:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 32
Words: 142,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/901432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/D0uble0hD0nut/pseuds/D0uble0hD0nut
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seth is a hybrid that finally manages to escape his captor. He's given to Dean and Roman to care for him until he's healed. The broken down man begins to fall for them both. And his Captor doesn't take too kindly to property running away. M/M fic. Full warnings inside</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is a shield story that contains some sensitive material and is not for the faint of heart. This is NOT for kids, hence the rating. This is a backup for my fan fiction account just incase.
> 
> Warnings: m/m/m relationships, non-con, BDSM themes, Dom/Sub relationships, supernatural characters, slash, slight femslash

Seth stared blankly at the ceiling, his eyes counting the cracks in the wood. He could see stains from rain water all over. He focused on the constant 'drip-drop' of it as his self-proclaimed 'master' slid out of him. Seth was brought back into focus by a hard slap snapping his face the opposite direction. He cried out and stared directly into the cold blue eyes of his captor. 

"You should know better than to disrespect me like that, boy" he growled. Seth trembled, eyes flickering to the other male in the room. He was here when Seth was first taken and he had disrespected this man one too many times. 

So he broke his neck.

Seth whimpered and looked back at his captor. The man smirked and nodded at him. "I'm leaving town for business. Damien will keep you company." He slapped Seth's cheek a few times before walking off, thick boots echoing in the room. 

Seth coughed weakly and slipped into unconsciousness.

||~~||

Seth stared at Damien through his curtain of two toned hair, smirking slightly before putting his plan into action. He began squirming and making uncomfortable grunts. Damien glanced up.

"Quiet, peasant." He growled. Seth's left eye twitched slightly and he continued. "Just what is your problem?!" Damien snapped. Seth frowned. "I need to piss" he huffed. Damien's lip curled in disgust before he reached to the key around his neck. He wasn't even worried about Seth escaping once the shackles were off. Boss had told him that he'd broken the boy down and he had no fight left. 

Or so he thought.

As soon as Damien uncuffed him, Seth tested the feeling in his wrists before nodding thankfully. Damien turned and Seth's eyes went wild. His mix-matched ears twitched and his tail jerked as he grabbed Damien's throat and slashed quickly before he could scream, the man's eyes rolled back and he instantly became dead weight. Seth quickly stole his pants and shoes and took off out of the window in the hallway. He could hear someone shouting behind him after he got a few meters away and he pushed himself to run faster. He couldn't let them catch him. Not again. He wouldn't end up dead like Johnny, better known as "Fandango". He wouldn't let those monsters use him as their plaything anymore. 

Seth stumbled a few times, feeling weak from the abuse he'd taken. His bare chest got scratched up a few times from low-hanging tree branches. He fell once, scraping his cheek on a rock. He heard someone get closer behind him.

"Come back little kitten. Your ass is mine!" 

Seth hissed. That man. Ryback, was it? That man was almost as brutal as his kidnapper was. He was nearly as crazed too. Seth picked up the pace but instantly regretted it as his ankle twisted and he slid down the side of a cliff. He did his best to shield his face and head and bit his lip bloody to keep from screaming when he landed.

Ryback snorted angrily and was about to follow when a hand landed on his shoulder. He turned and glanced to the larger man behind him known as 'Show' and nothing else. Show shook his head. "He's dead. We'll leave his body to the wolves. Someone's gotta tell Boss his boy got away and killed Sandow." He sighed. Ryback's eyes grew and he shook his head. "Hell no. Make Mahal do it" he shot back, turning and walking back. Show snorted.

"If he can stop toying with the red head, I will"

||~~||

Seth limped on. His foot was twisted at a horrid angle and it sent white hot pain through his body with every step but he kept on. His breaths were ragged and he struggled with every breath. He'd probably broken a few ribs. He'd limped for what felt like hours and he'd had to stop a few times to rest against a tree to keep from blacking out from the pain. He couldn't stay out here. He'd die for sure.He finally stumbled out of the woods and saw an apartment complex. He weakly went to the first apartment and knocked as hard as he could without smearing blood on the door. 

It opened and a short male with his own set of cat ears opened the door, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "Hey, dude, it's too early for whatever-OH MY GOD!" The fellow cat shrieked once he saw Seth's state. He backed up and screamed behind him. 

"JOHN! RANDY!" He screamed. A pale man ran to the door first and his eyes grew as he looked down at the battered and broken Seth. The two toned man coughed and his vision doubled.

"Please...help me." He whimpered weakly before collapsing.

||~~||  
Seth awoke slowly hours later, feeling slightly better. His chocolate brown eyes cracked open and he tried to sit up, only to be pushed back down. His ears flew up and he was on the defense. However, before he could claw at anyone, his arm was grabbed in a death grip. He whimpered and tried to twist out if it, feeling panic bubble in his chest.

It wasn't until a hand was placed atop his head when he blinked and relaxed slightly. He looked to his arm and saw an auburn haired man scowling at him. He flinched away. "What the fuck is your problem, you ungrateful little shit?" He snapped. Seth flinched again.

"Dean, leave the kid alone. He's obviously scared out of his mind" another voice said. He turned and saw the pale man from before. He was the one that petted his hair. The other cat boy was snuggled between him and another man who was tan and had plenty of tattoos. That man gave him a careful stare. He looked down at his bandaged hands.

"Fuck you, John."  
"Excuse me?"  
"You heard me, you prick. I don't know where you get off bringing this stranger in and assigning him to Roman and I. What if he's a spy? What if he's some druggie?" Dean spat, fury shining in his pale eyes. John stared at him with narrowed eyes, his kind smile gone. The other man beside the cat boy spoke, voice calculating and cold.

"Dean, did you and Roman not get brought in off the streets, barely alive?" He questioned.  
"We did but that's-"  
"And did we complain when you were assigned to us? Even after you tried to touch our boy?" He interrupted, running a hand through the small man's hair, drawing forth a purr. Seth's mix-matched ears twitched in interest and jealousy. He never got to purr...

"Yes, Randy but-"  
"Then it's settled. Shut the fuck up and take care of whatshisname-"  
"S-Seth.." Seth found his voice. All eyes turned to him and he flinched. 

"What was that?" Randy questioned slowly. Seth gulped quietly. "Seth is my name, s-sir. Seth Rollins" he stammered. Randy could tell he added that "sir" because he was afraid. The Viper tried to unravel the secret of the small man. "Randy" Randy responded. He pointed to his cat. "Evan" he added. The pale guy from before tipped his hat.  
"John" John responded sending him a dimpled smile. Seth nodded and looked to the last man, the auburn. His eyes glared holes through Seth's head.

"Dean." He spat. Seth nodded and looked away quickly. He'd been trained not to look into someone's eyes for too long. It was a disrespect that ended in punishment. Just thinking about it made Seth grab his head in a tight grip and he began to tremble. The men in the room stared at him and Evan spoke softly. 

"Masters, Dean, could you step outside for a moment?" He questioned, toying with the collar around his neck. Randy and John exchanged a look before standing, ruffling his hair and heading for the door. "Wait, seriously? You're leaving your Sub with this stranger?" He barked, following reluctantly. John put his hat back on and exited quietly, Randy shot Dean a warning look. The auburn scoffed and closed the door behind him.

Evan watched Seth tremble and he slowly scooted forward. "What happened to you?" He questioned slowly. Seth looked up, eyes puffy and red. "M-my family was slaughtered...this guy...he took me away from them. I don't even know how long ago that was but he's a monster. He tried to break me, Evan. I...I was so scared. He was going to kill me eventually, I know it. He killed this other prisoner in front of me...Johnny...god Evan it was horrible. I'm afraid he'll find me" he whimpered, pulling at his two toned hair. Evan pulled his hands away. "Stop it. You're safe here. I swear. Dean may seem scary but he's just extremely protective of people he's become close to, and the number one on that list is Roman" Evan explained. Seth looked confused. "Roman is Dean's partner" Evan said with a blush, his ears pressing against his head. Seth felt a pang of jealousy and guilt weigh on his heart. "I see why he's so agitated, I'm getting in the way" Seth mumbled before trying to stand. Evan's eyes grew. "Seth what are you doing?!" He questioned, trying to push Seth back down. "I can't make you guys worry about me and stop your personal lives for me. Dean's right, I'm a stranger" Seth sighed, trying to limp past Evan. His foot gave and he let out an unmanly squeak as he began to fall. He closed his eyes and waited for the ground. It never came.

"You know, sometimes it's better to ignore Dean, kitten." A voice came from above him. Seth noticed he was being lifted up and he shook in fear before he was sat down on the bed. His eyes met two gray ones and he relaxed instantly. Evan let out a breath of relief. "Seth, this is Roman. He's the other guy assigned to takin care of you until you get better" Evan chirped. "What happens when I'm better?" Seth questioned. 

"One of two things happen," Dean's voice called as he entered the room. "One, you get the hell out of our house and disappear-" Roman rolled his eyes and waved his hand. "This is one of the times you ignore Dean. Once you've healed, you can either leave, or go to Hunter and Shawn and ask them to let you stay. They'll always say yes, unless you give them some sort of reason not to" he explained before sitting back and crossing his large arms. Seth blinked, reaching forward and tracing his fingers over Roman's tattooed arm, eyes lighting up in wonder. Dean was ready to pounce but Roman sensed this and shot him a stern look. 

Dean clicked his tongue and looked away.

||~~||

Seth curled up on Roman and Dean's couch and felt his eyes go heavy. He hasn't been able to sleep on something this soft since he was taken away. He rubbed his cheek against the cushion and made a small sound of happiness when Roman draped a blanket over him.

The Samoan walked back to his room and arched a brow at Dean, who was leering at him. "You like him" he growled, eyes flashing. Roman crossed his arms. "I'm helping him, Dean. Quit being such a pussy." He shot back, never the one for comforting another. Dean stood and stalked closer to him. "Who's gonna make me? Sure as hell not you" he growled. Roman calmly ran his fingers through his hair before grabbing Dean by the neck, staring directly into his eyes. Dean's face went red and he squirmed, a smirk ghosting his lips. Roman shook his head. That sneaky bastard was setting him up.

Just as he thought this, Dean pressed his hardness against his leg, challenging him. Roman pushed him to the bed and slowly climbed over him, licking up from his chest to his neck. He pinned Dean's arms above his head and ground down against him, making both of them moan in pleasure.

In the other room, chocolate eyes snapped open and Seth slowly sat up, fully awake now. He looked towards Dean and Roman's room, fidgeting a little. It sounded like they were going to have sex. The man's tail curled around his waist and he curiously stood, padding closer. He could hear Dean gasping breathlessly, moaning Roman's name. Roman was nearly silent during it except for a few encouragements of "you feel so good baby" and "I love you so much" between grunts. Seth noticed the door wasn't fully open and he chewed his lip. He really shouldn't...but his curiosity was too damn strong. He peeked in through the opening and his breath caught in his throat.

Dean was facing away from him, seated fully in Roman's lap, riding the Samoan male. Roman had his face near Dean's neck, sucking and kissing it but when Seth went to peek, Roman's eyes flickered up, locking on his. Seth bit his lip, turned on and scared out of his mind. Would Roman attack him? Would he kick him out? Seth was waiting for any of these things to happen but none of it ever came. Instead, Roman just grabbed onto Dean's hips and thrusted up into him harder and faster. Dean grabbed his arms and moaned loudly. "Shit! Rome, I'm gonna cum!" He moaned. Roman reached between them and grabbed Dean's throbbing cock, quickly pumping it in time with his thrusts. "Then cum for me baby" he growled, biting Dean's shoulder. He and Dean came at once and when Roman raised his eyes, he noticed Seth was gone. He wasn't too worried. He could still smell the cat in the condo and he could smell his arousal rolling off him in waves.

Seth pressed his back against the wall, face flushed. His chest rose and fell quickly. Roman...he was telling him something. He wanted Seth to see. But why? Seth chewed his lip and looked down at the tent in the pajama pants Dean had lent him, albeit reluctantly. His eyes grew and he walked over to the couch, curling back up. He was conflicted. He wanted to relieve himself but after so many times of being denied without permission, Seth learned to endure. He pressed his pillow to his head and slipped into a fitful sleep.

Back in the room, Dean cracked an eye open. "Rome." He grunted out. Roman looked down at him, running his fingers through his auburn hair as a sign to continue. "Are you sure about this? He's the one?" He questioned. Roman's hand stilled for a moment before continuing. "Yes. He's what's missing, Dean. Try to go easy on him. I'm sure about this" he replied. Dean nodded and relaxed in his arms.

||~~||

Evan played with his collar, staring off into nothing. Randy brought him back with a kiss to the cheek and he smiled gratefully. 

"What are you thinking about, Ev?" He questioned, stroking Evan's tail. Evan mewled in satisfaction. "I'm thinking about what Seth said. I think I know where he came from" he muttered. Randy and John perked up. "Where?" John questioned. Evan chewed on his lips. "He escaped from Taker." He muttered. 

Both Doms froze, eyes wide. 

"That's not possible!" John gasped. Evan pursed his lips and Randy knew he wanted to protest but he wouldn't out of respect. Randy leaned back. "It is if Taker wasn't there" he grunted. John blinked slowly and then frowned. "True. That would explain a lot. Should we take him to Hunter and Shawn?" He questioned. Randy nodded.

"He'll want to know any possible leads on where Taker is. Especially after what happened to Stephanie" he spoke ominously.


	2. Chapter 2

Seth awoke the next day from his stomach growling loudly. He slowly sat up and frowned, rubbing his stomach and glancing to Dean and Roman's kitchen. He stood and shuffled over to their room, reaching to knock softly on it. 

The door swung open and Seth nearly punched Dean's face. He stopped, fear shining in his eyes as he took a small step back. Dean stared at him with half-lidded eyes. "Come with me" he ordered, heading down a different hall. Seth limped after him.

Dean stopped at the bathroom and calmly got a towel, rag, and a brand new toothbrush. "Take a shower, you smell like blood. If you feel like shaving or brushing your hair, the other grooming shit is in the medicine cabinet. I'm goin' to make breakfast. You allergic to anything, kid?" He questioned slowly. Seth shook his head and Dean nodded, leaving after petting his hair for a brief moment.

Seth stared at the door after it closed with his mouth agape, reaching up to gently place his hand where Dean's once was. A blush rose to his face. Petting was a sign of approval from a Dominant, right? Seth pursed his lips. He didn't know how a normal Dominant was supposed to behave and treat their Sub. Shaking his head, Seth started the shower water and gingerly took off the brace one of the guys had put on his ankle. It still hurt but someone had twisted it back into place so he could begin to heal. Seth limped into the stall, letting out a shaky breath at the burning hot of the water. He didn't dare change it though. He was lucky to have this. All HE did was throw buckets of cold water on him from time to time. Seth finally relaxed, starting to wash his two toned hair. He made sure to wash a few times. He cringed at the amount of dirt and blood that had came out of his hair once he was done. Next, he watched every part of his body several times, hoping to scrub away any lingering feelings of HIM off.

In the kitchen, Dean was making eggs and bacon with a lollipop dangling from his lips. He heard the shower water stop and listened closely incase the kitten needed help. Dean scoffed at how soft that sounded.

"D-Dean,sir..." He heard Seth whimper. Dean paused, pale eyes darkening for a moment before he shook his head. No. This kitten just got here and no matter how sure Roman was, they needed to agree before either of them touched him. 

"What do ya want?" He responded, purposely putting an edge back into his voice. There was a silence for a moment before Seth responded. "Dean, sir, I don't have any clothes...Do you want me to come out still?" Seth questioned. Dean shattered his lollipop with his teeth and forced back the wave of arousal and surprise that rolled over him. Wherever Seth came from, he was trained.

Trained, but abused.

Dean cursed under his breath. Whoever was his former Dominant had done something unforgivable. A Dominant should always take care of his Sub, no matter what. The condition Seth came to them in spoke volumes and the tremble in his voice showed how scared and nervous he was around everyone. Dean was brought out of his thoughts by that same voice.

"S-sir...?"

"Stay there, kid. I'll get something for you." Dean responded, heading into his and Roman's room. He fished out some of his old pajama pants and one of Roman's shirts before walking to the bathroom. Seth sat on the toilet covered in nothing but a towel, head down and hair covering his face, dripping. Dean placed the clothes down and grabbed a towel, kneeling in front of him. Seth startled. "S-Sir?" He stuttered. Dean spat the lollipop stick out and began to dry Seth's hair. Seth stayed quiet but Dean could hear the small mewls that slipped past his lips as his hands brushed over those mix-matched ears. They were two toned like Seth's hair. 

"T-Thank you, sir" he whispered, cheeks red. Dean kissed his forehead and stood. "Dry your hair with the blowdryer, kid. It won't be good if you got a cold. Roman and I will get some clothes for you later" he told him before leaving once again. Dean turned and ran his fingers through his hair, quickly making his way back to finish breakfast. Roman was still dead to the rest of the world in bed.

Just as Dean was finishing the pancakes, Seth came into the kitchen, eyes downcast. His hair was dry and tied up in a small bun. He fidgeted under Dean's gaze. Dean walked over and lifted his face, staring into his eyes. Seth immediately looked away but Dean shook his head. 

"Look at me, Seth."

Seth's eyes grew and he looked back to the auburn, mouth agape. That was the first time Dean had called him by his name. "You're safe with us. You don't have to avoid our eyes" he said calmly. Seth bit his lips, brows furrowing in confusion. "But...sir, you and Roman are Dominants...I...I should stay in my place..." He whispered. Dean felt rage bubble up in him. Someone had nearly broken Seth, he could tell. Dean gave his head a pet and Seth mewled, his tail curling around Dean's waist and pulling them closer. Dean chuckled when Seth pulled away as if he'd been burned. He stared at Dean with wide eyes, waiting to be struck. Nothing.

"Do me a favor, Seth. Go wake up Rome" Dean nodded before going to make their plates. Seth shuffled into the room and saw Roman sleeping soundly, head turned and his hair covering his face. His chest was bare and Seth could almost hear the power rumbling within with every breath he took. Seth quietly padded over and shook Roman's tattooed arm. "Sir, it's time to wake up." He muttered. Roman didn't do so much as twitch. Seth shook him a bit harder and got no response. He contemplated going to Dean and telling him that Roman wouldn't wake up but he felt as if that was unacceptable. He carefully moved Roman's hair away from his face and shook his arm again. "Please wake up" he mumbled. Roman grabbed his wrist and Seth let out an unmanly shriek as he was pulled under the Samoan in an instant. He stared up into Roman's steel eyes in shock and fear. Roman had him pinned but Seth noticed he could still move and the pin didn't hurt nearly as much as he was used to. It was almost...comforting having the man's warmer body so close. Roman looked agitated for a moment but it went away when he noticed it was Seth. He just slightly bumped their noses together.

"Hi." He greeted, voice rough from being half asleep. Seth averted his eyes. "H-Hi..." He stammered. Roman let him go and rolled off of him, standing and stretching. Seth couldn't help but to watch he way his muscles rippled with every movement. Then he noticed, with a blush, he was laying in Dean and Roman's bed, his nose picking up both male's scents all at once. Seth had to fight not to bury himself in the covers. He followed Roman out and the Samoan gave Dean a kiss on the cheek before heading to the bathroom to brush his teeth. Seth sat Indian-style on his chair and thanked Dean when the slightly older man placed his food in front of him. Seth hadn't noticed how hungry he was until he saw he had finished his plate before Roman even returned. The largest man arched a brow and he blushed. "I-I don't remember when the last time I got to eat was....s-sorry" he muttered. Roman's face went expressionless but Dean knew better. He could tell by the tenseness of his jaw and the way his fingers twitched that the large man was angered. Roman's eyes flickered over to his and he gave a small nod that Seth didn't notice since he was digging into his second plate of food.

||~~||

John and Randy calmly entered Hunter's office, both men staring at him with serious fire in their eyes. Hunter leaned back in his chair and spoke; "you've got a lead" he stated rather than asked. John nodded.

"Two days ago, a hybrid staggered to our apartment at about 3am. He was bloody and just about dead. When we took him to your clinic, he started acting, jumpy." John paused, watching Hunter's reaction. There wasn't one. Randy picked up. "Our boy asked to speak with him alone and he gave bits and pieces of what happened to him. We believe the kid escaped from Taker" he said calmly. Hunter stood, leering at both men before a smile came to his face. John and Randy knew what he was going to say before he even said it. 

"Bring him to me."

||~~||

Seth stared down at his injured ankle with a frown. He could walk, yes, but he wasn't nearly in the shape he wanted to be in. The hybrid let out a sigh and was about to drift back off to sleep when Roman approached him. "Seth, let me take a look at your ankle" he said, voice quiet but it left no room for discussion. Seth wasn't about to disobey either. He carefully lifted his foot and Roman grabbed it carefully, his hands warm.

"This might hurt a bit"  
"Wait wha-FUCK!" Seth screamed out, fingers instinctively latching onto Roman's locks and pulling when a jolt went through his ankle. Then it was gone. Seth's eyes grew wide when he looked down at Roman, realizing he had done something bad. Roman's eyes slowly rose to meet his and Seth was terrified. He couldn't read the larger man's expression.

Seth bolted under the coffee table and trembled. "I-I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean to! P-please d-don't kill m-me!" He sobbed, tears rolling freely down his face. Dean appeared from the bathroom and leaned against the wall, shooting Roman a look clearly saying he wasn't intending to help in the slightest.

Roman quietly walked over and lifted the coffee table with one hand, picking Seth up with the other. Seth trembled violently and sobbed, mumbling rushed apologies so fast Roman wasn't even sure he was still speaking English. He grabbed a tissue from the box and wiped Seth's eyes before holding it to his nose. "Blow" he ordered gently. Seth hesitated but did as he was told. Roman tossed the soiled tissue away and kissed Seth's forehead before moving away. Seth stood there in shock. "Y-You're not gonna p-punish me?" He questioned, voice raspy. Dean finally moved, giving him a water bottle. "For what? Roman's got some kickass healing powers but he knows they hurt like a bitch. All you did was pull his hair. I broke his jaw once when he healed my broken leg. You didn't do anything wrong" he shrugged. Seth looked to Roman, who was rubbing his jaw at the memory but otherwise nodding. 

There was a knock and Dean made his way over to the door, seeing John there. He arched a brow and John took his hat off, rubbed his head, and firmly returned it before meeting Dean's eyes. Roman and Dean knew that was a sign that he was serious. Roman quietly appeared at Dean's side. "What?" Dean questioned. John exhaled.

"Hunter wants to see him."

Seth froze, knowing they were talking about him. Dean's nonchalant look broke and he looked at Roman with a mix of confusion, rage, and surprise. Roman kept his face blank. "Why?" He responded. John sighed. "Evan thinks Seth escaped from Taker" he said. Dean's eyes snapped over to Seth and Seth flinched, backing away. Roman nodded and walked over to Seth. The boy took a few steps away. "Y-you're taking me back?!" He shrieked, panic overcoming him. Roman shook his head. "Trust me, that's the last thing we'd do. We all hate Taker and his goons. Hunter just wants to have a few words with you. He's been desperately seeking justice against Taker and his band of misfits since they killed his wife and children. Dean and I won't let anything happen to you, Seth" he said calmly. Seth relaxed slightly and nodded, following Roman and Dean out to John's car where they drove in silence. Seth chewed on his bottom lip and replayed that one phrase over and over in his mind.

'Dean and I won't let anything happen to you, Seth'


	3. Chapter 3

Natalya looked up when John entered the office again, her eyes lighting up when they landed on Seth, who was holding onto the back of Roman and Dean's shirts, eyes darting around nervously. She stood and nearly plowed Roman out of the way, startling the cat as she hugged him, trapping his head between her breasts. "Aren't you just adorable? Is he yours, Roman, Dean?" She questioned, staring in wonder at his two toned ears. Dean didn't even try to suppress his growl and Roman pulled the flailing Seth away, chuckling in amusement as he took a large gasp of air. His hair that was once neatly in the bun was sticking up in the front and his face was red from embarrassment. Nattie grinned in amusement. 

"He's adorable" she cooed, smoothing his hair back down. Seth stared unsurely at her before pressing closer to Dean, not sure of the woman's motives. "Not now, Natalya. Seth is a little jumpy right now. Let him adjust and then you can coddle him. Hunter wants to speak with him anyway" John spoke. Natalya's face went serious and she nodded, giving them a small wave before letting them pass.

Dean mumbled angrily under his breath and unconsciously wrapped his arm around Seth's waist, pulling the cat closer. Seth didn't protest and went along willingly, placing his temple on Dean's shoulder. John gave Roman a look and the Samoan's lips quirked. It was a sign of possession and submission and neither men knew it.

John walked to Hunter's door and knocked loudly, entering after he heard the man inside scoff at the formality. All four men entered and Seth instinctually was about to sit with Dean and Roman until the blonde in front of him beckoned him forward. Seth shuffled forward, eyes downcast. "Kid, I've been told you managed to escape a very bad man. I'm sorry I've got to dig up memories but I need you to tell me as much as you can. Take your time and you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to" he said, voice sturdy but all of the men in the room knew he was desperate for information. The other blonde in the room placed a hand on his shoulder to anchor him. Seth's fingers twitched nervously and he felt his breaths come short until Dean and Roman's hands slid into his. He relaxed and nodded.

"Okay...I-I'll start from the beginning"

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\~////////

It was raining when he got out of the gym. Seth rolled his eyes and cursed, walking to his car and getting in. He hadn't noticed the eyes following him.

When he reached home, he noticed his house dark and still. The hybrid frowned, walking inside. He was instantly overwhelmed with the scent of blood. Panic washed over him and he ran to the living room, blood running cold as he saw a pack of other hybrids hunched over his family, ripping and tearing them to shreds. Seth backed away but he stepped on a weak plank of wood and they all looked towards him. He screamed and bolted away, running to his car and speeding away, wet road and traffic regulations be dammed.

He was trying to head out of town to his other family in the town over but he made the mistake taking the road that wove through the woods. While speeding, he barely had time to notice the figure in the middle of the road before he hit it full-force. 

"SHIT!" Seth hissed, fearing he killed someone. He was going to get out until he realized the person hadn't even fallen. It was a man in a trench coat, a smirk playing on his lips. Seth went to hit reverse but a hand came smashing through his driver's side window and he was dragged out and thrown to the pavement, air rushing out of his lungs. He coughed and tried to stand but the man that had dragged him out, that huge, bald mass of rage and muscle stomped on his chest, grinning evilly down at him. "You're not goin anywhere, kitten" he spat. Seth tried to struggle but he was picked up and slammed violently into a tree multiple times before he blacked out.

That's just how it started.

Hours later, Seth awoke in a dingy, lonely room. It was nearly suffocating in there. He looked up, hearing sobbing. Seth weakly looked across from him, seeing a brunette chained to the floor, weakly trying to reach the small bowl of water that was just out of reach. Seth's eyes grew when the man's eyes turned towards him. "You'll never make it if you let him break you, kid" he coughed weakly. Seth frowned and the door to the room opened. His head snapped over to the door and saw the same man he hit slowly stride in, his hat creating a shadow over his eyes. He approached the other man and Seth saw him flinch and try to back away. 

"Relax, Johnny boy. I'm helping." He cooed, kicking the bowl within the man's reach. Johnny went to drink but the large man placed his foot on the back of his head, trapping his face in the bowl of water. Seth trembled as he watched the other man flail about. After a few moments, the man removed his boot and Johnny's head flew up and he coughed violently, tears rolling down his face. The large man scoffed. "You should be thanking me, you ungrateful little slut" he snarled, punting Johnny in the chest. He cried out and lowered his head. "I'm s-sorry, sir! T-thank you, s-sir" he trembled. The man grunted and turned his attention to Seth.

The two toned man began struggling, yanking at the cuffs on his wrists that held him to the wall. He hissed when the man stopped in front of him but he let out a small scream as his large hand landed across his cheek, snapping his head to the right. Tears welled up in his eyes and he looked over to him in shock. "Y-you hit me...you FUCKING hit me! LET ME OUT YOU SON OF A BITCH! I'LL FUCKING SLAUGHTER YOU!" He hissed and spat. The man looked amused for half a second before he punched Seth in the stomach full force. Seth's eyes went impossibly wide and he coughed. The man side-stepped, not even reacting as Seth emptied the contents of his stomach onto the floor. He chuckled and grabbed Seth's neck in a bruising chokehold, staring him directly in the eyes.

"As of today, you belong to me"

////~\\\\\\\

Seth was holding Roman and Dean's hands in a death grip. He didn't go into further detail. "I never found out his name...but I know there was Ryback, Show, Jinder Mahal, Antonio Cesaro, Damien Sandow, and Jack Swagger. They've all had to "watch" me while that monster went away.That monster killed Johnny...I killed Damien Sandow when I escaped..but they held me in a place in the woods about a few miles away from Evan, John, and Randy's apartment, sir. Above a cliff. I fell off of it when I was running away" Seth mumbled, looking down at his once injured ankle. The men in the room stared at him in shock and Hunter bolted up, grabbing his phone and the sledgehammer from beneath his desk and storming out of the door. Shawn followed suit.

Seth stood there in shock and confusion. Evan had whined and pressed himself closer, not liking how close they were to one of Taker's hideouts. Dean growled and kicked Hunter's desk. "He was right THERE!" He growled. Roman's emotionless mask cracked and his rage was evident in his eyes and his clenching and unclenching of his fists. Both men had let go of Seth's hand and the man honestly felt so alone without contact from them both. 

Steeling himself, Seth grabbed both Roman and Dean's arms and pulled them close to him, burying his face in both of their chests. The two stared at his head in shock before unsurely wrapping their arms around him. 

They both relaxed instantly, with Dean petting Seth's hair and Roman kissing his temple.

||~~||

Back home, Seth curled up on the couch, not minding how Dean had sat beside him, hand resting in his hair. Dean wondered idly why Seth didn't purr. Did he even know bow? Seth looked up, resting his chin on Dean's thigh. "What are you and Roman?" He questioned suddenly. Dean arched a brow. "I mean...you two both aren't human so..." He trailed off and Dean nodded in understanding, bringing his beer to his lips. "Roman's a Liger." He started, grinning when he saw Seth's eyes grow wide. Dean thought it was fitting for the large Samoan, to be an exotic big cat like that. Seth nudged him. "And you?" He pressed. Dean rolled his neck on his shoulders. "Mountain lion" he said. Seth nodded before nuzzling Dean's thigh. 

"Why can't I see your ears and tail?"  
"Why do you ask so many stupid ass questions?"  
"S-Sorry..."

Dean felt like smacking himself when he felt Seth scoot away in fear. "No, I'm sorry. C'mere," he grabbed Seth's arm, pulling him. He forgot about how light Seth was and he ended up pulling Seth right on top of him. The smaller cat was straddling him with a blush on his cheeks but neither man moved. Dean's hand grabbed Seth's hip lightly and he used his free hand to brush some of Seth's blonde hair out of his face. Seth licked his lips in confusion and Dean followed the movement, using his thumb to drag down Seth's bottom lip. Seth instinctively dragged his tongue over Dean's thumb before sucking the digit into his mouth. He closed his eyes as his tongue curled around the digit, sucking as much as he could into his mouth, wanting to please Dean instinctually. Dean groaned and started to get hard but that's when Roman decided to get out of the shower. 

Seth launched himself off of Dean and curled up quickly on the love seat, facing away from Dean and Roman as the Samoan entered the living room with just a towel on, his hair wet and dropping past his shoulders. Dean knew Roman could smell the arousal on he and Seth and sure enough, the man's steel eyes flickered over to him. He gave Roman an annoyed look and flipped the bird at him. Roman shook his head, chuckling to himself.

"You alright there, Seth?" He questioned calmly. Seth let out a shaky breath and nodded, not once turning around. Dean mumbled and walked away to take his shower. He really hated cold showers.

Roman placed a blanket on Seth and headed into his room, feeling bad about leaving him like that. He and Dean couldn't touch him until he came to them.

#####  
"Seth. Seth!" A voice cried. Seth looked up and saw Johnny Curtis or "Fandango", reaching for him. "Seth! You've got to listen to me!" Johnny cried. Seth trembled and reached for him. "J-Johnny...?" He trailed off. Johnny grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "You've got to kill him, Seth! He won't stop killing people, Seth! He'll kill everyone! Seth...don't let him mess with your head! Everything may not be as it seems!!" He screamed. Seth went to open his mouth to object but Johnny's eyes went lifeless and he fell. The area around him went black and Seth heard a dark chuckle. He trembled and his neck was grabbed in a brutal chokehold.

"Wait till I find you, boy. I'll make you suffer. Maybe starting with those two"

####

||~~|| 

Hours later, Dean awoke to the sound of sobbing and thrashing. Instantly on the offensive, Dean's own ears and tail appeared and he eased out of his room, ready to pounce. He stopped short when he saw Seth crying in his sleep, clawing at the blanket and mumbling "no", chanting it like it was a mantra. Dean grabbed him bridal style and walked back into the room trying to ignore Seth flailing in his arms, cursing when Seth headbutted him in the jaw. Even Roman was up at this point. Seth trembled and cried, holding onto Dean for dear life. Dean laid down and turned so Seth was between him and Roman. Dean had his arms around his shoulders and Roman had his arms around his waist. Both men pressed themselves against Seth and soon he calmed down, pressing his face into Dean's neck and his tail curling around Roman's waist as if anchoring him there. Dean and Roman exchanged a look before they decided to sleep too.

||~~||

The next morning, Seth woke up with a start, flinging himself from the bed and crashing to the floor. He stared at Roman and Dean with wide eyes. Dean cracked an eye open and looked down at him before rolling it and sitting up. "What's wrong?" He questioned roughly. Seth shook. "D-Did I crawl into your bed? Oh god I don't remember...please don't hurt me...I'm not trying to get between you and Roman or anything..." He trailed off and Dean stared blankly at him for a moment before grabbing his pillow and smacking Roman awake. Roman grabbed it on the last hit and swung back full force, knocking Dean from the bed. Roman smirked at the womanly shriek Dean let out as he hit the floor and he sat up, rubbing his eyes. His smirk fell when he saw how distraught Seth was. 

"What's wrong, kitten?" He questioned. Dean crawled back to the bed and hissed at Roman before straightening his clothes. "He thinks he's getting between us." He said seriously. Roman stood and walked over to Seth, helping him off the floor. Seth whimpered. "I'm not trying to be a homewrecker or anything I swear! I just...I...ahhh~" Seth trailed off as Roman took one of his ears in his mouth, biting down. He mewled and arched against the larger man and he felt Dean slip behind him, stroking his tail. The auburn haired man knelt down to his ear and grinned. "You can get between us, Seth. We just need you to tell us if you want to" he cooed before giving Seth's tail a squeeze. "We won't let you go once you tell us" Roman added as Dean squeezed Seth's tail once more. Seth let out a loud 'meow' and trembled, nearly collapsing as both men pulled away and exited the room. 

He panted and slid to the floor, feeling turned on and oh so very confused.


	4. Chapter 4

Seth sat on the armchair with his knees pulled up to his chest. He hasn't said a word since the incident in the morning and neither had Dean or Roman. Roman had his walls up, not giving any indication on what he was thinking or feeling and Dean looked agitated. He was about to snap when a knock came to the door. Dean snarled and stomped to the door.

"John I swear to god I will bash your skull in-" Dean stopped short, seeing Natalya staring at him with an arched brow. Evan was behind her and she crossed her arms. "Nice to see you too, jackass" she huffed, pushing past him and walking in with Evan in tow. She spotted Seth on the armchair and shot both men a nasty look before walking up to him.

"Hi, Seth. Remember me?" She questioned gently, brushing his cheek with her thumb. Seth stared at her with doe eyes and nodded. "Natalya, right?" He questioned. She smiled warmly at him. Dean was trembling with possessive rage and Roman was tense. "C'mon, darling. We're headin out" she said, voice like honey. Seth stood but Dean grabbed his shoulder, making him sit before be stood nose-to-nose with Natalya. "Who said you were taking him?" He growled. Natalya smiled and gave his cheek a few demeaning slaps.

"Oh, Dean, you sound so angry. He's not yours. There's no problem with me taking him. You know Hunter has set it up so that I take the Subs out once in a while to get them away from the stress. Considering how Seth isn't anyone's Sub and you were such a bitch to him about being here when you first met him, you shouldn't mind. Now step aside before I make you." She snarled. Dean was about to lose his shit but Roman grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the Canadian woman, knowing she was fully able to take out that threat faster than anyone could react. She smiled sweetly and grabbed Seth's arm, leading him out. Dean turned and went to his room, slamming the door shut.

He hadn't noticed the look of sadness that Seth threw over his shoulder just before Natalya closed the condo's door.

||30 min later||

Natalya sighed and pulled up to a condo Seth hadn't been to. "Evan, you stay in here with Seth." She muttered, exiting the car and quickly walking to the door.

"Where are we?" Seth questioned. Evan's tail flicked back and forth and he toyed with his collar. Seth watched the movement, noticing how attached Evan was to the item. He touched it frequently, as if making sure it was still there. Seth frowned and his own fingers ghosted his bare neck before he clenched his fist. No.

"This is Wade and Justin's condo. Nattie has to go in by herself or else Wade will flip." Evan sighed. Seth looked over at him and he played with his fingers. "When a Dominant has one of their Subs taken from them...it changes them. Just like how a Submissive feels like there's something missing when they're away from their Dominant..." Evan trailed off, touching his collar again. "That's why you keep touching your collar. You don't feel right without John and Randy" Seth stated. Evan blushed and nodded sheepishly.

Seth chewed his lip. Was that why he felt so alone? Why he wanted so badly for Roman and Dean to take care if him? Because he was away from his Dominant? Seth's eyes went wide and his heart skipped a few beats.

Evan noticed this and he shook his head quickly. "Wait! No! Taker's not your Dominant if that's what you're thinking!" He yelped. Seth stared at him and he sighed. "I'm sorry...I guess you don't know how this goes since Taker...took everything...um, you both need to agree before an official Sub/Dom relationship can be established. You as a Sub need to trust them as a Dom to take care of you but you must also know the limits. They as a Dom must protect you no matter what. It's...kind of hard to explain but it's got to be mutual" he muttered. Seth nodded slowly and looked towards the house. Natalya still hadn't come out. "So...what's the deal here again?" He questioned, changing the subject.

"Wade had two Subs, Justin and Heath. Taker-"  
"D-did you just say Heath?" Seth cut him off quickly. Evan shot him a worried look and nodded. "Yes...?" He muttered unsurely. "I've seen him...is there anyone else that you know was taken?" He questioned.

"Um...well Heath, Sheamus lost Drew, Punk and Matt lost Jeff and Shannon, respectively...AJ went missing a month ago..." Evan stopped, seeing how distraught Seth was. "You've seen them, haven't you?" He questioned. Seth nodded silently and Evan rubbed his temples.

"Wade lost it. He's been aggressive ever since Heath was taken. Justin tries to endure it but I can see it hurts him. Sheamus went on a warpath but now he's nowhere to be found, Punk nearly set fire to the whole condominium and he kind of stays in his room or in the gym, Matt actually destroyed Hunter's old office building...and Natalya's been pretty upset since AJ disappeared" Evan muttered. Seth's ears twitched.

"Natalya was...?"  
"Yes and no. Natalya takes care of the female Subs here but she's not necessarily their Dom. The thing is...AJ was her own Sub but she upped and left Nattie. She tried to stop her, but AJ stabbed her and left after saying she would never be a good Dominant. Nattie started taking all of us male Subs away once in a while so stress doesn't cause any arguments between us and our Doms. She leaves her ladies with Shawn. She does what she can but I know she's hurting every day. She babies all of us so much, trying to make us feel wanted and loved at all times" Evan stopped talking as Natalya walked out with a man about Seth's height. Seth could tell he was some sort of dog from the large black ears on his head and the onyx-colored tail that was slightly tucked between his legs. Seth saw a large man leaning in the doorway of the condo Nattie and the guy exited from. He looked absolutely livid.

He slid into the passenger's side door, flinching when the door to the condo slammed shut. Nattie got in the car and rubbed her temples for a moment.

"Okay boys...lets go do some shopping. It's been a stressful day"

||With Dean and Roman||

Roman watched Dean pace around with calm eyes. Dean's body was shaking with pent up rage and confusion. Roman knew exactly why but he was waiting for Dean to lose it before he explained to the other man. He wouldn't have to wait long.

Dean suddenly punched a wall and snarled, turning to face Roman with wild eyes. "What the fuck?! Why the fuck do I care if she takes the little shit?! Good fucking riddance! Just...he didn't even fight her! What the hell is this?! We give him an open fucking invitation and he just slaps us both in the face! Roman, I swear to god I'm going to kick his-"  
"Dean." Roman cut him off firmly, walking forward to trap him against the kitchen counter.

"You want him. Just admit it"  
"Roman, I don't fucking CARE-"  
"Look me in the eyes and tell me that again then, Ambrose."  
"...tch." Dean looked away, body shaking even more with rage. He couldn't do it. Just the thought of Seth being with anyone besides himself and Roman pissed him off.

"Now that you've calmed down, you know Natalya takes the Subs out once in a while. Hunter and all of us agreed to it, even you. The woman has nothing but good intentions, so you can't get mad at her. She's just trying to keep us all together. We're all linked because Taker has affected us in some way, shape, or form. Now, whether you want to believe it or not, we're a family. Den mother Natalya is going to do everything in her power to keep us together so we don't have another AJ stunt." Roman lectured. Dean ran a shaking hand through his hair and Roman wasn't prepared for his next question. "Will Seth leave once he's healed?" He questioned, staring coldly at the wall.

"I don't know, Dean. I don't know."

||~In the Mall~||

Seth was trying on a shirt Natalya had picked out for him when he was suddenly dizzy. He leaned against the wall and his world spun for a moment before there was silence. Too much silence.

Seth was about to call for Evan or Justin when he heard his foot land in a puddle. He looked down, eyes growing when he saw his shoe was covered in blood. "Nattie!" He screamed, pulling the curtain back, only to see blood splatter on the walls. He trembled and looked around, seeing Evan's lifeless body slumped over a chair, Justin face-down in a pool of his own blood, and Natalya impaled on one of the racks that held clothes up. Seth felt tears fall from his eyes and he backed up quickly, only to run into a solid body.

Turning, Seth saw Taker there, eyes cold and emotionless. His slowly smirked and pulled out a knife, grabbing Seth's arm. Seth was petrified by fear and the large man dragged the blade down his arm over and over again.

"You've been a bad boy, Seth. Now everyone will suffer."

Seth squeezed his eyes shut and tried to ignore the pain but he heard his now-dead companions as well as Taker calling his name over and over again in a haunting tone.

"Seth..."  
Seeeeth..."

"Goddammit Seth! Snap out of it!"

*slap*

Seth's eyes flew open as he felt the sting of a slap across his face. He blinked and looked up. When had he gotten on the floor? He saw Natalya standing there with Evan and Justing staring down at him in concern.

"Y-you're alive..?" He muttered, voice quivering. Natalya sighed and grabbed his hand, raising it to his face, showing him the blood on his fingers. He stared at them before looking up at her, lost. She slowly tilted his head to the mirror in the fitting room and he let it a choked sound, seeing his own smeared blood on the glass.

'You can't run, Seth'

Seth's own name took up the majority of the glass and it was sloppy compared to the rest of the message. Seth looked down at his arms and saw the scratches he had left himself. The same arm where he'd imagined Taker cutting him.

Imagined...

"Seth, baby, it's okay" Natalya whispered, grabbing his arm and running her hand over it, healing him quickly. It didn't hurt like when Roman did it. Evan scurried in and quickly wiped the blood away with moist towelettes that Natalya had in her purse. Justin disposed of them.

"I...I don't know what just happened." Seth admitted as they exited the store quickly. Natalya carried all of his bags and he honestly felt bad, being a man and letting her hold his items, but his hands were shaking too bad for him to hold anything. "Sometimes that happens once you've gotten out of a traumatizing situation. You have bad visions and you inflict self harm without even realizing it. It used to happen all the time to AJ-" Natalya suddenly stopped walking and all three men turned to her, frowning. She looked away, towards the sunset. Seth could see the pain in her eyes.

"Nattie, it's not your fault." Justin muttered, shaking her arm. The woman gently touched her stomach and Seth knew that's where she'd been stabbed. "It is, Justin. She wouldn't have left if I wasn't such a failure. Get in the car. I'm taking you all home." She muttered. They did so and she dropped Justin off first and then Seth. When he exited with his bags, she tossed him a brand new phone, still in the box and everything. There was a list with names and numbers taped to it.

"You'll need this, sweetheart" she told him before driving off. Seth gently kicked the door to Dean and Roman's condo, half expecting an angry Dean to push him back out on his ass or Roman to tell him how much of a disrespectful little bitch he was. Seth shuddered and Dean opened the door, eyes alarmingly calm. Seth walked in and saw Roman stretched out on the couch, eyes fixed on the ceiling and not moving even when Seth entered.

Seth frowned and was about to ask if he'd done something wrong but Dean pulled him into an embrace. It was awkward and Seth couldn't even hug back. The box jabbed Dean in the ribs but he didn't care. He closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath.

"I'm sorry, Seth."

Seth's mouth fell open, not used to this side of Dean. There wasn't any cockiness in his eyes, no arrogant smirk on his face, nothing. His brow was furrowed but Seth could see the honest, raw emotion in his eyes. Seth wasn't even sure what emotion it was.

"Why would you need to be sorry?" He questioned slowly. Dean let him go and rubbed his jaw before leaning against a wall. "Nattie is right. I was a dick to you when you first came. After all you've been through, that's the last thing you need. I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to feel so afraid of us. You're safe here. This is your home now, if you want" Dean muttered that last part. Seth's ears twitched cautiously and he licked his bottom lip, looking to Roman, who still hadn't moved. "I...I don't get it. What are you saying?" He questioned. Roman sat up and pulled his hair back into a low ponytail, staring into Seth's eyes finally.

"We don't want you to leave when you get healed, Seth. Dean and I both want you to stay here with us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N: hey everyone...thanks for the lovely feedback. Did anyone watch Total Divas? I honestly felt bad for Nattie :I also, I kind of got into a spat with one of my best friends. She doesn't approve of me wanting to become a Diva myself one day. I've been in tears and I've been arguing all day, hence the chapter being posted so late...just..my emotions. If the next few chapters feel really angry, I'm sorry. But in a way I'm not sorry. Plot devices and all that jazz, right? Anyway, if you stayed to the end of this note, thanks for listening to my problems. Sorry bout that. Goodnight/Morning everyone! Xoxo -Scarlet)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry ;w; here, lemme catch you all up

Seth's mouth hung open and his eyes flew back and forth from Roman and Dean. Dean sat beside Roman and rested his elbows on his knees, holding his face up. "So that's it. We're laying it all out on the table, Seth. We want you to be ours just as much as we want to be yours. But we're not going to force you." Dean sighed, staring at Seth once more. Seth was speechless. His heart pounded in his chest and he trembled.

"I...I'm afraid." He whispered, tears welling up in his eyes. He expected one of them to get up and hold him but they didn't move, eyes fixed on something other than him. He understood. They wanted him to come to them willingly.

"I'm so afraid he'll find me..." Seth placed his bags down on the floor and slowly stepped towards them. "I've been having these horrible dreams of him killing everyone..." 

Another step.

"He's in my head..."

Another.

"I'm don't want anyone else getting hurt by him"

Two more...

"I don't want to see the pain in all of your eyes and know he's caused it."

Reach, Seth.

"I don't want him to kill you two. I-I'm scared." Seth's head was down but he knew he was standing before Roman and Dean. His tears fell onto their bare feet and he finally looked up, reaching to touch both of their faces.

"I'm scared of losing you." He whispered. Dean and Roman grabbed his hips and pulled him down. He was straddling one of their legs with his head on their shoulders. Seth's lip wobbled and he tried to hold the tears away but they fell freely and he sobbed. Roman rubbed his back and Dean whispered sweet nothings in his ear.

The auburn pulled Seth away for a short moment, wiping away his tears before leaning forward, inches away from Seth's lips. "Do you want this, Seth?" He questioned, breath ghosting Seth's face. Seth nodded and leaned forward, connecting their lips for the first time. Seth felt warmth bloom in his chest and his face went hot as Dean grabbed his bottom lip between his teeth. Seth's lips parted and he mewled when Dean's tongue swirled around his.

"So, should I give you two a moment or...?" Roman's voice came from the left and Seth pulled away with a blush and looked over to the largest man who was staring at them both with his brow arched in amusement. Dean smirked. "Don't hate" he practically purred and Roman rolled his eyes. Seth shifted his weight so he was more on Roman's leg and he nudged his nose with Roman's. Roman chuckled and looked up, offering Seth his lips. Seth wrapped his arms around his neck and kissed Roman as sweetly as he did with Dean. 

When he pulled away, Seth squirmed in their laps, feeling shy under their gaze. "U-um...question?" He murmured. Dean lifted his chin and he cleared his throat.

"I get to sleep in the middle, right?"

||~Hart Home~||

Natalya had taken one step into her home when she was suddenly tackled back against the door from a blur of red. She blinked before laughing, letting her little fox's head.

"Good to see you too, Alicia. Where's the girls?" She questioned, kissing Alicia's forehead. Alicia's lips pursed, her fiery tail wagging quickly. 

"The twins went to their room after they got in a fight with the Funkadactyls, Jo Jo is in your room, Eva hurt her feelings, Layla is playing Mortal Kombat with Caitlyn, and I think Rosa is in the shower, mistress." Alicia answered, beaming up at Natalya. The blonde grabbed her hand and lead her out of the hall. "Where's Michelle?" She questioned. "She's making dinner with Shawn" Alicia yawned. Natalya gave her a small kiss to the cheek. "Go sleep, Alicia" she ordered politely. Alicia kissed the corner of her lips before skipping off, nearly running into Rosa as the Latina came out of the shower in nothing but a towel.

She huffed and made her way to the room she shared with Jo Jo and Eva. Natalya looked around, checking on all of her girls before she slid into her room, having to gently nudge aside Jo Jo. The teen clung to Natalya as soon as she was settled and Alicia did the same to her other side. Natalya gently touched the scar on her stomach before closing her eyes.

She'd wake in the morning with her bed full of her Divas.

||~Undisclosed Location~||

He clicked his tongue before chuckling, his fingers curling around Jinder's tan neck. The man struggled, eyes wide as he was lifted. "What do you mean my pet escaped?" He questioned in a calm voice. Jinder shook and looked towards Ryback and Show for assistance. Neither man looked his way. He cursed in his native language before looking back to his boss.

"Damien let his guard down and he killed him. Ryback and Show went after him but they couldn't find him. They said he fell down a cliff so they left his body to the wolves" he explained. 

Taker scoffed, letting him go and leering at the other two men. "You didn't even check to see, did you?" He growled. Ryback shot an accusing glance at Show and the large man kept his head low. Taker approached him, staring up at him with malice. "You. Fucking. Idiot." He spat, punching Show in the jaw, enjoying the crack that followed. The giant barked in pain and Taker kicked him in the stomach a few times. "Someone better tell me something good or I'll kill you all." He snarled. Ryback rolled his neck, seemingly unafraid. 

"Hunter and Shawn came with a search party looking for us the other day. They couldn't have done that had the kitten not told them. He's somewhere with them." He grunted. Taker stood and nodded. 

"That's what I wanted to hear. Get the others. I'm going to take what's mine." He growled, slowly walking away. 

||SD||

Seth sat on a cliff, his feet dangling off. Johnny was at his side, looking towards the sky. Neither man spoke for the longest time.

"You are dead, right?" Seth questioned, looking down at Johnny. The darker toned man's lips quirked. "I'm only as dead as you think I am" he responded. Seth frowned. "Stop talking in riddles! I saw him...what he did to you...you're dead but you keep showing up in my dreams...are you a ghost?" He questioned. 

At this, Johnny tilted his head back and laughed loudly. Seth hissed at him and he stopped after a while. "Sometimes you can't believe everything you see, Seth. It's up to you whether I'm dead or not. All I'll say is that you should never let that man into your head. He'll control you from there if you'll let him." He said, covering Seth's eyes. The man's ears stood upright and his tail bristled. "What the hell are you talking about?" He spat, not going to move the hands.

"Don't rely on your mind alone. Use your heart."

||8:26 am||

Seth woke up with a start but he relaxed when he saw he was in his new room. He looked to his left and saw Dean's face a few inches away from his. He blushed and placed a small kiss to the sleeping man's lips before turning to Roman's side. 

The large man had his back to him but Seth carefully slid out of bed, kissing him as well before shuffling out of the room to start breakfast. 

Seth had just finished putting the scrambled eggs in a large bowl when he felt arms wrap around his waist and lips latch onto his ear. He let out a startled yelp before turning, staring into Dean's pale eyes.

"Did I scare ya, kitten?" He questioned, rubbing his face in the crook of Seth's neck, nipping from time to time. Seth's tail swayed and he tilted his neck to the side, silently asking Dean to nip at him some more. "I wasn't scared...I was just surprised" he pouted. Dean chuckled and let him go after he'd left a large hickie on Seth's pale neck. "Keep tellin' yourself that" he cooed before assisting Seth with breakfast. Dean rolled his neck and looked towards their room with a frown. Seth followed his eyes and played with his fingers.

"Do you want me to wake Roman up?" He questioned. "Roman's a bitch in the morning. He's really aggressive when woken up, y'know? Now that you've agreed to be ours, I can't say he won't punish you for waking him up." Dean told him with a stretch. Seth frowned a little before smiling. "What if we brought him breakfast?" He questioned happily. Dean scoffed. 

"I ain't bringing that lazy shit anything." He retorted. Seth pouted and brought Roman's plate to him anyway, gently shaking the large man's shoulder.

"I've got breakfast for you, Roman" Seth cooed. Roman let out a warning growl and Seth paused. He shook his head and continued. "Siiiiiiiiiiiiir!" He wined. Roman growled, leering at Seth from beneath his curtain of hair. Seth took a chance and brushed said hair out of his face.

"Good morning. Dean and I made breakfast. You need to eat to stay big and healthy, sir" he joked. Roman chuckled darkly before pulling Seth into bed. Seth had an odd sense of déjà vu when he was pinned under Roman. The larger man bit down on his collarbone and Seth let out a gasp. "Mm...it's alright if I eat you then, right Seth?" He questioned, lips closing around Seth's pulse. The smaller male mewled, face red as Roman kissed and licked his neck. "S-sir..." He whimpered, trembling in Roman's hands. The Samoan glanced up at him before smirking, leaving his own mark on Seth's neck. 

"I'll eat and then we need to get dressed. We all gotta go to the gym." He told Seth, letting the man go before turning to his plate. Seth nodded and exited the room, going to the bathroom to make sure his hair wasn't wild.

Seth spotted both marks on his neck and gently brushed his fingers over them, a small smile coming to his face.


	6. Chapter 6

Seth was playing with the phone Natalya bought him, putting in all of the numbers she had given him. He hesitated at the names he didn't know but Roman told him it was alright and he'd get to know everyone eventually. He was playing a game when Roman pulled into the gym. "Alright Seth, lets go" Dean yawned, gently pushing the cat to get him moving. Seth held onto the back of his and Roman's shirts once more as he followed, his ears and tail upright and alert.

When they walked in, Seth noticed Natalya sparing with the large man that who owned the condo Justin lived in. Wade, was it?

They both were bare-knuckled as they fought but Natalya seemed to be too quick for Wade to land a hit back on her. She grinned and swept his foot, making him fall to the mat hard. Justin-who was sitting a few feet off, stretching-looked concerned. Natalya helped Wade back up and she grinned, ignoring his huff of annoyance.

Seth looked to the other side to see John lifting weights while Randy spotted him. Evan was close to them, with his headphones on as he ran on the treadmill. Seth looked forward when he felt a hand pet his head. 

Roman smiled down at him and lead him to a spot where there weren't as many people exercising. There were a few girls Seth didn't know but if he were to guess, he'd assume they were some if the girls Natalya took care of. "You can workout too if you want, kitten. Dean and I know everyone here and I'm positive Hunter has briefed everyone here on your arrival" Roman told him before he and Dean got on a mat and started sparing like how Natalya and Wade were. Seth watched them for a bit before he felt dizzy again. He swayed for a moment before everything seemed cold. He wasn't in the gym anymore. 

\\\\\\.  
It looked like an old jail, with cells and everything. Seth walked forward, glancing into the cells, seeing the guys he'd seen before. The one Evan said went missing.

"What are you doing here?" A female voice said. Seth turned and saw a small woman standing behind him. She wore a black and red crop top with a pair of short shorts and converse that went up to her calves. Seth noticed the small ears atop her head and the small, smooth tail behind her bottom. She tilted her head, batting her eyelashes.

"What are you doing here?" She repeated, slowly walking forward. Seth frowned. "I don't know why I'm here or how I got here" he muttered. She stopped in front of him and giggled, slowly circling him. "You escaped here, Seth. Are you coming back?" She questioned, a Cheshire-like smile stretching across her face. Seth looked back to the cell holding the abused, malnourished, and traumatized men. 

"Are you afraid, Seth? Will you leave us here?" She pushed him towards the cell, pointing within. They both stared as a red headed dog coughed weakly, leaning on a larger brunette cat. There was a multicolored-haired man sobbing in the corner while a blonde tried to comfort him. Seth looked away and noticed the woman staring into the cell with a smile on her face. 

"We'll never be as strong as you were. We'll all rot here" she cooed, petting the bars. Seth pulled her away and hissed. "Listen, I'm not going to let this continue. I'm going to save you all and end this." He growled. She tilted her head the opposite way.

"You've gotten two new Dominants. All of us were taken away from ours somehow. Remember that, Rollins. Hehehe" she giggled, turning and skipping away from him.

-////-

Seth blinked and glanced around, seeing he was still in the gym. He looked down to his arms, noticing they weren't injured like the last time he'd blacked out.

The man's tail curled around his own waist and he was lost in thought, trying to figure out some sort of clue as to what he should do.

||~Later~||

Seth had gotten up to get a bottle of water when he bumped into another man. When their arms brushed, Seth felt like he'd been burned. He cried out in pain and nearly everyone stopped, looking over to them.

The man glanced back, his eyes emotionless. Seth checked his arm to make sure he wasn't burned before staring at the man with wide eyes. Roman and Dean were at his side in an instant, for once, Dean was the one holding Seth while Roman got in the man's face, actually towering over him. The man's brow quirked and he looked up, unimpressed. 

"What did you do to our boy, Punk?" Roman growled, steel eyes cold. Punk rolled his neck before flexing his fingers, a small ball of fire appearing in his palm. Seth's mouth fell open. There were elementals here too? That meant there were some seriously strong people here.

"He bumped into me. Probably felt the heat from my body. Not my fault." Punk finally responded, making the fireball go away. Dean checked Seth's arm before grabbing Roman's wrist. "He's fine" he spoke. Roman backed down but Hunter entered the gym. Everyone turned their attention to him.

"We went to the woods and couldn't find a damn thing." He grunted. Seth tensed up, eyes going wide. "B-but it's there! I-I ran away from..." He trailed off, trembling. Roman grabbed one of his ears, rubbing it soothingly with his thumb while Dean placed a hand on his shoulder. 

"They probably put a barrier over it. Either that or they moved it to a different location" Hunter sighed. The men stared at him and Shawn spoke up.

"It's possible. With large amounts of magic and this is Taker and his goons. We don't know much about their powers other than Taker steals souls from Hell to grant his men with power from Hell. Anyone who kills one of them has an advantage..." Shawn trailed off, looking at Seth.

His ears flattened against his head and he grabbed onto Dean's wrist. The man stepped forward and shook his head. "I don't know how I feel about that, Shawn" he grunted. Shawn nodded and sighed.

"I think it's about time we all went home."

||~Hart Home~||

Natalya had just gotten out of the shower when she ran into one of the Bella Twins. The woman looked up at Nattie and her lips quirked, as if she was going to say something. Natalya's eyes narrowed. "Do you have anything to say, Brie?" She questioned, leering at the woman. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and walked past Natalya. "I don't speak to ugly ducks. Quack quack, Nattie." She snickered. 

Natalya's temper flared and she grabbed her by the hair, pulling her roughly against her. "Oh Brie, I wouldn't test me if I were you. I'm the only one within our little band of misfits that can take care of your ungrateful ass besides Kharma. Now, I'd advise you shut you're damn mouth and learn some respect before I send you and Nikki to her in a fucking box." She snarled. Brie nodded, trembling. Nattie let her go with a shove and the woman scurried away.

The blonde shook her head and turned, seeing Jo Jo there. The youngest Diva shuffled her feet and blushed. "Nattie, please don't listen to Nikki and Brie. You're so much prettier than them both...you're talented and strong and...I'm rambling. Oh god this is embarrassing...." Jo Jo looked away, her long rabbit ears facing different directions. Natalya smiled warmly, walking closer and pulling the girl against her, pressing her lips against Jo Jo's temple.

"You've actually made my day, sweetheart"

||~Centon Home~||

Evan pouted and crossed his arms, scooting away from John. "No. I can't do it, master" he huffed. John looked over to Randy and the man rolled his eyes. "Evan, we go through this every day. That's an order." He said firmly.

Evan's ears flattened and he gently took off his collar, handing it over to John. Tears welled up in his eyes as the bigger man set it aside. John leaned over him and stroked his face.

"Evan, don't you think you're being a bit over dramatic?" John questioned. Evan sniffled and shook his head. "Randy, help me out here." John mumbled. The Viper slowly crawled over Evan's smaller frame, staring into his eyes. "You can put it back on after we're finished in the shower. Now get your ass in the bathroom" Randy ordered, voice low. Evan blushed and slid from beneath him, scurrying off.

Randy sat up and chuckled, unbuttoning his jeans. John tossed his shirt over his head. "You're really mean to him sometimes, Ran" he teased. Randy smirked. "It's not mean if he gets off on it, Johnny boy. And don't pretend like you're the goody goody two shoes you are out there when you're in here. Evan and I know your little secret." Randy cooed, approaching the older man once they were both naked. John stood his ground. "And what's that?" He questioned. Randy leaned forward, biting John's bottom lip.

"You're a monster in bed, John" he replied, turning and walking away before John could grab him. The other Dom growled low in his throat and followed Randy to the bathroom where Evan was. 

The cat looked up, trying to keep his eyes above the belt when both men entered. John noticed this and pinned Evan against the shower wall. "Go ahead and look, baby. It's not like you haven't seen all of this before" he whispered, biting down on Evan's shoulder. The cat purred and Randy chuckled from somewhere behind John.

"I told you so" he teased before joining John in playing with their beloved kitten.

||Barrett Home||

Justin walked into his room and stopped short, seeing Wade there with a glass of whiskey in his hand, a pained and haunted look in his eyes. 

"Master, please stop with the whiskey. You'll be hospitalized if you continue" he sighed. Wade turned to look at him. "Why haven't you left too?" He questioned, accent heavy. Justin slowly walked forward and took the whiskey away. 

"Because I love you, Master. I love you and I love Heath." He whispered. Wade's fist clenched. "Heath...he hates me. You should too. I can't protect you." He grumbled. Justin shook his head, running his fingers through Wade's short hair. 

"I've seen Heath in my dreams, Master. He loves you just as much as I do. We'll get him back." He said. Wade looked away and Justin crawled in his lap, pressing his lips against Wade's, tasting whiskey on the Brit's tongue when he granted the South African wolf access.

"For now, focus on me. I'll make the pain go away, if only for a few hours"


	7. Chapter 7

(7)  
Shawn was outside his and Hunter's condo when Michelle McCool walked up to him. The blonde passed him an empty bottle. He took it silently, a flurry of thoughts running through his head.

"We've got to do this soon." She told him, sunglasses over her eyes. Shawn nodded. "Hunter and the others are gonna kill us when this is over." He chuckled, shaking his head. Michelle crossed her arms.

"If we live through this." She sighed. Shawn gave her a small nod before going back into his condo before the blonde Dominant woke up.

Michelle pulled her collar up and walked off briskly.

||~Undisclosed Location~||

She skipped down the hall, stopping at the one room she liked the most. The red room. She walked in, spotting her Master sitting at his own throne. He drank blood from a goblet shaped like a skull.

"AJ, come." He ordered. 

She skipped closer and threw herself into his lap, tilting her head, eyes wide. "May I have some of the red water, master?" She questioned. He smirked and tilted it to her lips, watching as more of her will was drowned away.

She was such a good girl.

||4:36 pm||

Natalya typed away on her computer when she felt a dark presence loom over her. She turned cautiously to find a large woman behind her. Natalya relaxed.

"Kharma, welcome back." She greeted. Kharma nodded before coming around to properly face Nattie. "There's someone new, isn't there?" She questioned. Natalya nodded. "Dean and Roman got assigned an injured hybrid about a week ago" she said. Kharma's nose twitched. 

"Call them. Tell them to bring him to me."

||25 min later||

"So this Kharma woman is a witch?" Seth questioned. Roman and Dean nodded, walking back into Hunter's office building. Seth never got around to asking what it was exactly that Hunter and everyone else did to get all of this money for all these items. Natalya greeted them at the door.

"Hey there. Follow me" she said, turning and walking the opposite direction of Hunter's office. Natalya stopped at the only black door there was and opened it.

Inside was a large woman sorting out different colored liquids into various shaped bottles. She stopped when Dean closed the door.

"You've come a long way, Seth Rollins." She spoke. Seth felt a chill go down his spine. "Kharma, what do you want?" Dean snapped, pulling Seth against him. Roman pressed close to both of their backs and Natalya stayed off to the side. 

"The boy seeks knowledge. He has questions that none of you can answer." She replied, sitting down at her desk. Seth stared at her. "And you can?" He questioned. She crossed her arms. "That depends on what you ask me." She said. Seth sighed.

"Why do I keep having these dreams? These visions...it feels like-"

"Like someone is trying to tell you something?" She finished his sentence. Seth stared at her and she leaned back. "That's because those aren't dreams. Someone is trying to get into your head and tell you something. I cannot tell you what it is, however." She sighed. Seth looked at his hands.

"I have powers from Hell inside of me right now because I killed Damien, right?" He inquired. Kharma nodded slowly before looking towards Dean and Roman. "Teach this man how to fight." She told them sternly before looking towards Natalya. "You as well. All of them but the twins. Don't trust those who share evil thoughts" she warned. Natalya's jaw clenched and she nodded. "Why do we need to teach Seth to fight? We won't let anything happen to him" Roman huffed. Kharma stared at him before laughing. It was bone-chilling and cold.

"A war is about to start. It's best you all touch up on your skills or your just expendable."

||~Outside the Centon condo~||  
Orton opened the door with annoyance shining on his face. Judging from the sweat rolling down his brow, he was engaged in activities with John and Evan that Shawn had rather not know about.

"What the hell do you want, Shawn?" He hissed, eyes nearly glowing. Shawn sighed and pulled out an empty bottle, handing it to him. Randy's annoyance washed away to confusion and then realization hit him. "Shawn-"

"I need to ask you a small favor. You know what to do with this. Keep this between us. I need this ASAP." Shawn told him. Randy rubbed his freshly cut hair and nodded after clicking his tongue. "Do I even need to ask?" He questioned. Shawn shook his head, a smile coming to his face. Randy slid it into his pocket and turned to go back inside.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Michaels"

||~Next Morning~||  
Natalya awoke with Jo Jo and Eva squeezed against her right side and Alicia and Caitlyn to her left. Layla was snuggled against Michelle on the corner of the bed and Naomi and Cameron had mirrored them on the opposite side, and Rosa had rolled in her sleep, shoving the Bella's out of the bed completely. Natalya thought about what Kharma said and touched her scar, frowning.

The twins weren't to be trusted.

Natalya scoffed and sat up, gently sliding from the bed. She shook all of her girls up except the twins. "C'mon loves. We're going to the gym." She said. Jo Jo looked towards the twins but Eva shook her head and pulled her away. "Fuck them both. I don't like them anyway." She huffed, her black-tipped tiger ears twitching in annoyance.

Jo Jo nodded and followed Nattie and the Divas out to the Canadian woman's large black Ford Expedition. Jo Jo sat between Eva and Caitlyn, staring at her Dominant with worry.

Natalya always had this haunted look in her eyes, one that wasn't there when she took Jo and Eva in off of the streets. Jo knew it was because of AJ and the kindhearted rabbit couldn't help but to get angry. She often would replay it over and over in her head.

||~10 months ago~||

Jo Jo was curled up in a corner, blood, rain, and tears running down her cheeks. Eva was a few feet away from her, her claws bloody. Some guy had tried to take Jo Jo from her so out of self defense, she killed him. Eva looked down at her hands with a blank look before turning to her rabbit friend. "Jo..." She trailed off when she heard heels approaching. Eva ran towards Jo Jo and stood crouched in front of her. A blonde woman appeared, holding an umbrella over her head. There was a smaller raven with her. The girl skipped over to the men's body and kicked it over, leaning down to look at his face.

"Aha! It's Zeb, Mistress!" She cheered, kicking his body a few times. "That's enough, AJ" the blonde said before looking over to the two women. "You two have saved me a deal of trouble finding this scumbag. May I ask your names? I'm Natalya Hart and this is AJ Lee, my Sub." She greeted. Eva looked suspicious but Jo Jo leaned closer. "U-um...you can call me Jo Jo and this is Eva Marie" she responded. Eva shot her a look but Natalya walked forward, holding her hand out. 

"Come with me. I'll make sure no one finds out and I'll get a roof over your heads"

||~1 Month Ago~||

Jo Jo was in the kitchen with Eva, Caitlyn, and Alicia when they saw AJ leave Natalya's room, a faraway look in her eyes. She had a bookbag on her arm. 

"AJ? Where the hell are you going? It's 11pm" Eva snapped. AJ ignored her and headed for the door. Caitlyn jumped up and grabbed her arm. "AJ stop! Mistress will get mad at you-" Caitlyn was cut off by AJ punching her hard in the jaw. "Fuck OFF!" She snarled. Eva jumped up to help Caitlyn and Jo Jo ran to Natalya's room, waking the Dominant blonde. 

"Nattie! Nattie! AJ started a fight!" She screamed. Natalya jumped up and ran out of the room just in time to see AJ kick Eva in the jaw and bash Caitlyn's head into a table, cutting her ear on the broken glass from it. Alicia grabbed Caitlyn to try and stop the bleeding."AJ!" Natalya barked, pulling the girl off. "What the hell are you doing?! As your Dominant, I order you to stop!" She snarled. AJ headbutted her, making her nose bleed before she turned and slapped Natalya hard. All of the Divas were up at this point and all of them saw. They stared in shock.

"You...you HIT me! YOU BELONG TO ME, HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND!?" She barked, eyes ablaze. AJ tilted her head back and laughed. "You? My dominant? HA! You're a joke, Natalya! Worthless, ugly, useless, pathetic, weak, PIECE OF GARBAGE!" She snapped. Natalya stared at her with her mouth agape before she pounced, punching AJ in the face. "I will NOT tolerate my Submissive speaking to me like this! If I need to punish you, I will, AJ!" She growled, hitting AJ again. 

AJ's lip busted and she smirked up at Natalya, licking some of the blood away. "Shall I say it again? I won't accept a horrible Dominant like you as mine. Now die." She cooed. Natalya was about to hit her again when a searing hot pain went through her stomach. Jo Jo and Alicia screamed as AJ shoved Natalya off, a kitchen knife now embedded in the woman's stomach. She stared down at the knife with tears in her eyes before looking up at AJ.

The weasel tilted her head, a smile crossing her lips before she turn and ran. Eva and Michelle went after her in a blind fury while Jo Jo scrambled over to Natalya's side, removing the knife and pressing down on the gash with a kitchen towel Naomi passed her. Alicia was crying and Cameron was calling Hunter. Rosa had ran out into the night screaming in Spanish, hoping to wake someone up for help. The Bella twins just stared.

"Nattie! Nattie stay with me!" Jo screamed. Natalya had blood running from the side of her lips and she stared up at the ceiling blankly before she passed out.

Jo Jo let out a heart shattering scream.

||~14 hours later~||

Kharma had finished stitching up Natalya's stomach when the Divas were allowed in. Natalya stared blankly out of the window, tears rolling down her cheek but no other expression on her face. Jo Jo was in the corner being held by Eva. The tigress trembled with rage. "I'll kill her when I see her again." She snarled. Jo Jo nodded numbly, watching as Alicia tried to talk to Natalya.

"Mistress..."  
"...."  
"Mistress please talk to us. We're worried about you"   
"..."

Kharma sighed and rubbed her tired eyes. "I think it's best you all head home. I called in Beth and Eve from Buffalo to fly in and keep watch of you all until Natalya can do it. Trish is in your condo now. I'll watch Natalya" she said. Slowly, the Divas filed out but Jo Jo leaned down to Natalya, kissing her softly before taking Eva's hand. "We'll always love you, Mistress Nattie" she whispered. 

As she pulled the door closed, she heard Natalya break down for the first time.

||~Now~||

Jo Jo clenched her fists and looked up at Natalya again. The blonde was stronger than anyone had her credit for. She truly loved AJ and to be betrayed like that...it could easily break anyone. Jo Jo respected the woman as much as she loved her. Natalya stopped at a mansion they'd never been to. She rubbed her temples before picking up her phone and calling someone.

"Uncle Bret? Yeah, I'm outside."


	8. Chapter 8

||~Hart Dynasty~||

Hunter sighed as he pulled into Bret's mansion. He was late because Shawn had to run a few errands. Hunter glanced at Shawn out of the corner of his eye.

Nothing appeared to be wrong with his best friend and Sub but Hunter couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong. A feeling like something terrible would happen to Shawn.

"Hunter, if you keep staring at me, we'll be later than we already are" Shawn teased. Hunter grunted and turned his car off, exiting with Shawn.

When they walked in, Hunter noticed nearly all of the people he'd taken in standing in the foyer. The Dominants were wary while the Subs stayed close to them. Hunter looked to his left and noticed Punk and Matt Hardy standing off to the side. Sheamus was a few feet away from them, a hood over his fiery head, hiding his eyes. It's been a while since he'd seen them.

"All of you, please, shut the hell up" a voice groaned from the top of the stairs. Hunter rolled his eyes when he looked up, spotting Chris, Adam, and Jay. "Where's Bret?" Randy hissed. Adam yawned. "He's in the Dungeon. He's waiting for you all." Jay answered. Natalya walked forward, her Divas following close behind.

"Follow me," she threw over her shoulder.

The blonde woman stopped at a door and gently knocked on it before pushing it open. She let out a breath and turned to the rest of the group. "In here, I want you all to listen very closely to what my Uncle says. Everything he does has a reason behind it and stepping foot into this Dungeon means we go by his rules. His word is law from his point on. We've got to worry about Taker and his goons. Starting a fight here because you can't put aside your pride could spell the end for us all." She told them grimly. Randy's eyes narrowed and he pulled Evan against him and John.

"What is he going to do to our Subs, Natalya?" He spat, seeing through her. All the Doms-save Punk, Sheamus, and Matt-leered at her. She sighed. "Teach them to defend themselves without us. The hard way. You're not the only one. I've got more Subs than you all and I won't be able to help. Get over it or get out. We don't have time for this" she told him, brutally honest before turning and entering. Her Divas followed, fire in their eyes.

Roman was glaring at the open door and Dean hissed, fingers flexing. Wade had an unreadable look on his face. Justin and Seth exchanged a look before they followed Natalya, shocking their Doms. Soon, all of them entered and the door closed.

A raven male stood in the middle of the dimly lit room. The floor was hard concrete and there was an array of weapons within a case at the far Northern end of the room. Some were missing. The man glanced at them all with no expression. He held up a small keychain. "I want all the Subs to step forward" he said calmly.

They all did and he dangled the keychain. "I want you to do everything in your power to take this from me. If you've got elemental powers, use em. If you can transform, do it. Come at me with the intent to kill. It's over only if you take it or I knock one of you out. Your Doms aren't allowed to help." He explained before holding his arms out.

"Begin."

Eva was the first to lunge, her claws extending as she swiped at his neck. Bret side-stepped before kneeing her in the stomach and tossing her back to the rest of the group. Jo Jo gasped and Evan flinched. "D-Do we really have to?" He questioned. Seth scoffed and stepped forward, eyes dark. "If you'd ever actually laid eyes on Taker and felt the abuse from him and his crew, you'd know the answer to that." He shot back coldly. The room went deathly still until Justin stepped up, now at Seth's side.

"Lets do this then." He growled.

Both men took off before anyone could blink and began attacking Bret together. Justin aimed a kick at the back of his knee but Bret caught his foot, tossing him into Seth. Naomi and Cameron had tried grabbing the keychain and Evan had nearly snatched it before Bret kicked him in the head. Jo Jo whistled to get his attention.

When he turned, the Canadian got kicked in the face by Shawn and Michelle drop kicked him in the chest, knocking him off-balance. Caitlyn ran at him full speed and speared him into a wall. He chuckled before picking her up and tossing her to the side. Seth ran and dove forward, scraping his arms on the concrete as he caught the two-toned woman. She blushed and thanked him before looking at his arms in concern. She was about to ask him if he'd be okay when she felt a small gust of wind behind her and a strong presence there.

"Focus on the battle. Count your casualties after its over." Bret said before he grabbed her head and slammed it into Seth's, knocking the woman out and making the man cry out in pain. Bret stepped back, letting Caitlyn fall forward against Seth.

"You all fail." He grunted before stepping back. "Subs go sit. I want the Dominants to do the same-"He hadn't even been able to finish before his niece ran at him in a blur of blonde and pink. She uppercutted him in the jaw and kicked him in the stomach before attempting to clothesline him. He ducked and mule-kicked her in the back, making her fall.

Bret dodged the flurry of fists that Dean threw at him and tossed the smaller man in the way of Roman's oncoming spear, chuckling as the paler man shouted in pain and rage. John had gotten a few good hits in before Bret slammed his head into a wall and tossed Randy through one of the hardwood tables in the room.

Wade was going to attack him but he swept the man's feet, making the large Brit hit his head hard against the floor, out cold. Bret shook his head and pocketed the keychain.

"If any if you were to go after Taker now, you'd all be dead. That man messes with your head to get to you and make you an easy target. He and his underlings shroud themselves in illusions to get you off guard. If you can't even focus enough to take this keychain from me, you'd all be better off handing yourselves to him on a silver fucking platter." Bret grunted before turning to leave.

"You've all got your belongings here and such. Tyson will lead you all to your rooms." He muttered.

||~Later~||

Roman sat in the window, staring blankly out of it at the dull gray of the town. Dean was in the room pacing angrily and Seth was away with the Subs. Roman glanced over, seeing Dean relax when he brought his phone to his ear. The larger man knew exactly what Dean was listening to.

Standing, he made his way over to Dean and took his phone, tossing it aside. "He's gone, Dean." He told him quietly. Dean's fists clenched and he looked away. "He wouldn't be if I was faster, Roman. He's gone and it's my fault." He muttered. Roman pulled the pale man into his arms and sighed.

"No Dean. It's because of Paul that he's gone. None of us knew. You can't keep being depressed about that. Seth's going to figure it out sooner or later." He said quietly. His voice seemed loud in the sill room, however. Dean looked away and ran his fingers through his hair. "Shit." He hissed, pacing again. Roman sighed and sat down on the bed given to them. "We don't have to tell him, Rome. About our past" Dean muttered. Roman snorted and gave Dean a flat look. "Seth was forced to tell us his backstory and we didn't even give him any time to recover. We've had time to heal from what they did. It's either we tell him or he finds out from one of Taker's underlings. Which would you prefer?" He snapped. Dean sat down heavily by Roman. "I miss him, Rome" he whispered. Roman kissed his cheek.

"I know Dean. But we need to move on."

||~Meanwhile~||

The Subs all sat together in the living room in silence. Caitlyn sat with her head down while Rosa held a pack of frozen peas to her head. Eva was pacing back in forth, her striped tail swaying in annoyance. Evan had his knees pulled up to his chest.

"We need to work together." Justin suddenly spoke, eyes fixed on the wall opposite of him. Naomi and Cameron shuddered and Alicia nodded with the others. "All of our Doms have been through so much...we've all lost so much because of this man...we've got to take him down." Layla growled. Michelle rubbed her arm gently while Rosa leaned on her. Seth rubbed his temples, feeling dizzy again.

 _"Da da,_  
Da da dada  
Dada da da  
Daaa da da da~"

Seth shook the dizziness away and frowned. He noticed Evan get up and leave once John called to him. The pale man whispered something in his ear and Evan blushed, nodding. John smiled and picked the boy up, uncaring of the other Subs watching as he took him away.

Jo Jo blushed and looked down at her hands. "M-Maybe we should get back to Mistress Nattie" she stammered. The Divas nodded and scurried away. Justin was all that was left with Seth. The wolf looked like he wasn't going to move any time soon.

"Aren't you going back to Wade?"  
"Aren't you going back to Dean and Roman?"

Seth stared at Justin for a moment before tilting his head. Justin looked away. "I'm not ready to see him right now. He's slipping away from me and I don't know what to do." He whispered. Seth frowned and leaned closer. "I see you all were close...tell me about Heath, if you don't mind" he moved closer to Justin and the wolf nodded.

"I don't mind at all"

||~~5 years ago~~||

_"Just, I think we're stranded." Heath muttered. He frowned, his tail dropping between his legs. Justin stared blankly at him before cursing in Afrikaans._

_Heath kicked a rock over. They were lost in a town they'd never been in and Justin's motorcycle had ran out of gas a block ago. The wolf was stuck pushing it as Heath tried to figure out where the hell they were._

_The two canines had ran away from home, unable to take the pressure of it all. The Gabriel and Slater households had suddenly gone bankrupt and the head of both families were ready to hand over both dogs to pay off the debts. This didn't sit well with the men. So they did the only thing that they could do: run._

_"Oi, look here. What do we have here?" A voice cooed. Justin stopped, seeing a shady group approaching them. Heath frowned and stepped closer to the larger dog._

_"Do you two know where you are? You're in my territory. I don't take too kindly to intruders" a man snarled. "We're just lost. We're not here to start any problems." Justin said calmly, standing his ground. The large man barked out a laugh. "Cute, but now we've got to teach you two a lesson. Gotta keep up appearances." He chuckled before whistling. The group approached the two canines until a bone rattling howl made everyone stop. Heath whimpered and clung to Justin's arm, cowering behind him while the taller man's ears dropped. The sound of gravel crunching under someone's shoes echoed through the night as a figure approached._

_He was tall and pale, his black hair styled in a short wavy style. His whiskey green eyes stared blankly at the group. "And wha' the hell do ya think your doing? This is my territory. Leave before I kill you all for this insult." He growled. All of the men ran off and he turned towards Justin and Heath._

_"I can probably fix that motorcycle in the morning. My condo is a block away. Follow if you want." He grunted before walking on. Justin noticed his knuckles were bloody and he had a bloodied tissue in his nose. The two followed this man until they reached an expensive looking condominium._

_Heath looked around in wonder while Justin was focused on their injured savior. When the man unlocked his door, Justin came forward tentatively. "Um...may I see? I can help" he said. The man looked like he was going to protest but he simply shrugged, tugging his black shirt over his head. Justin admired the tattoos on his shoulders until Heath gasped in shock when he saw the claw marks on the man's back._

_"Jesus...who did this?" He questioned, gently running his pale hand on the skin directly next to the wound but not touching it. The man hissed in pain and he snatched his hand away. "S-sorry..." He muttered. "It's fine. And as you saw, I don't like people taking what's mine. I guess you can say I'm overprotective." He grunted as Justin lead him to the stool in the kitchen. "Heath, get the first aid kit out of your bag" he muttered, rinsing the man's knuckles off with water._

_"Um...I was supposed to get the first aid kit when we left?"_

_"Oops..."_   
_"Heath, you son of a-"_   
_"Bathroom, below the sink, Heath." The man spoke up, an amused smirk on his face. Heath blushed and nodded, jogging off._

_"You two seem close" he turned his attention to Justin. "He's my best friend. We were pretty much raised together since I came to America. I don't know what I'd do without him. Um...it's kind of late for introductions, but I'm Justin Gabriel." The other man chuckled a bit. "Wade Barrett" he responded as Heath came back quickly. Justin took the kit and opened it on the counter._

_"This is gonna hurt a lot, forgive me" Justin mumbled as he poured disinfecting liquid over Wade's split knuckles. The man closed his whiskey green eyes and growled slightly. Heath gently patted his hands dry when Justin was finished and each man wrapped one of Wade's hands up with bandages. Justin tilted Wade's head back and removed the tissue he had stuck up there. "Oh fuck." He cringed. "What? What's wrong?" Heath tried looking over his shoulder._

_"My nose is broken." Wade grunted from below. Heath frowned and Justin carefully cleaned the blood. "I'm going to put it back in place. You can hold onto me if you want" Heath offered, gently nudging aside Justin so he could stand between the largest man's thighs. Wade's brow twitched and Heath grabbed his nose, quickly putting it back in place to the best of his ability._

_Wade howled in pain and reached out, grabbing onto the first thing he could. Heath's face went red and Justin stared. The Brit had grabbed onto Heath's bottom. "W-Wade..." Heath squeaked. Wade cracked his eyes open and frowned. "Sorry bou' that" he grunted, releasing Heath. The smaller man shook his head, hiding his blush with his hair. "N-no it's fine..." He whispered. Justin snickered behind his hand before turning the stool so Wade's back was to him. "Heath, go talk to him to distract him. I'm not a healer. We've got to do this the old fashioned way." Justin mumbled, pulling up another chair, some needle, thread, a large bandage, more disinfectant, and lots of tissues. After cleaning the wound, he began to stitch the wound closed. Wade clenched his fists._

_"U-um...favorite color?"_   
_"Red."_   
_"Favorite animal?"_   
_"Wolf" (Justin grinned triumphantly at this)_   
_"Favorite flavor of ice cream?"_   
_"I don't eat ice cream"_   
_"Taken?"_   
_"Single."_

_There was a tense silence after that. Justin looked up to see Heath looking away from Wade and he larger man stared at him with half-lidded eyes. Justin rolled his eyes._

_'Smooooth, Heath'_

_"Done. It shouldn't get infected now" Justin broke the silence, placing the bandage over the wound. Wade rolled his neck on his shoulders and smiled. "Thank you both. Stay here as long as you need to. There's a guest room in the back" he told them before standing and walking to his quietly. Justin closed up the kit and cleaned up before looking over to Heath._

_"We just met him, Heath." He said quietly. Heath bit his lip. "I know that" he mumbled. Justin crossed his arms. "You like him" he said knowingly. Heath smiled sheepishly and nodded._

_Justin rolled his eyes and headed to the room with Heath in tow._

_||5 months after that||_

_Heath pouted when Wade walked in with a black eye and a busted lip. "Wade! You were fighting again!" He wined. Justin looked up from his book and arched a brow. "Who was it this time?" He questioned. Wade huffed in annoyance and plopped down between Heath and Justin._

_"Michael. Or Curtis. Whatever the fuck he's calling himself now" he grunted. Heath got some ice and wrapped it up in a kitchen rag before pressing it to Wade's eye, kissing his cheek. "Please be careful, Wade. We worry about you" the redhead murmured. Justin nodded from Wade's left and grabbed his face, gently running his tongue over the wound on his lip. Wade chuckled and pulled both men closer._

_"I'm glad you stayed."_

_||~4 months ago~||_

_Heath clung to Justin's waist as the wolf sped down the road on his motorcycle. Wade was in front of them with Sheamus and Drew in his car. They were going to Hunter to report some findings on the whereabouts of Jeff and Shannon when they were stopped by a pack of dogs. Very large, very rabid dogs._

_"Oi, what the hell is that?!" Drew bristled, his body on attack mode. Wade's eyes narrowed. "Hellhounds. Taker knows we know something." He growled. Sheamus opened the door with a smile. "Lets send them back to Hell then." He growled. Wade loosened his collar and nodded, getting out._

_The hounds ran forward, a man with a turban behind them, eyes focused on Heath, Justin, and Drew._

_Justin sped forward, running over a few hounds. "Heath hold on!" He barked, popping the motorcycle up into a wheelie, coming down hard on the head of one hound. Black blood splattered over the concrete and Justin went back to driving normally. Heath slowly stood, turning so he was back-to-back with Justin. He summoned a strong gust of wind, knocking several of the dogs into the air. Drew launched himself off of a tree at them and slashed at them with a sword he always kept with him. He landed gracefully to his feet and nodded at Heath._

_Wade and Sheamus had finished off the other Hellhounds when the ground began to shake. Drew lost his balance but Justin made a sharp turn, grabbing him by the back of his shirt and flinging him over his lap. Heath clenched his thighs around the machine as Justin sped away from the approaching cracks in the ground._

_The man had stepped forward, carefully taking his turban off. The ground broke apart and Justin couldn't make it in time. He, Drew, and Heath began to fall. Justin reached forward, grabbing the edge of the ground. His bike fell and he struggled to hold on. Heath was clinging to his ankles and Drew was sliding down his torso._

_"WADE! SHEAMUS!" They all screamed frantically. The Doms turned and their eyes grew when they saw the fissure. Both men started running but the guy from before appeared, knocking them back with a strong hit of black magic. The men became enraged and their true animal spirits began to show. The man smirked and turned away. "I'll take all three of them." He cooed before walking over to them. Sheamus was thrown into a blind rage and the large Irish man made the ground shake with his element: Earth._

_Justin's eyes grew as his grip loosened. "SHEA! STOP!" He screamed, tears of fear and pain rolling down his face. He felt like his shoulders would rip out of the socket at any moment. Wade broke past the distraction and made it to the edge, grabbing for Justin's hand just as his hold broke. Justin's eyes grew and he looked down, seeing Drew and Heath slip completely. "NO!" Sheamus screamed, reaching for his Sub._

_Drew's fingertips brushed his for the briefest of moments before the brunette and Heath fell into the abyss. The man from before chuckled and began walking away. "Two out of three. Not bad. I'll be back for the wolf." He cooed. Sheamus and Wade stood and charged at him but he snapped his fingers at the last moment, disappearing._

||~Present~||

Seth stared at Justin in shock as the wolf sat there. Tears ran down his tan face and Seth quickly came over, hugging his friend just as he broke down crying. Seth rubbed his back, not sure what to say or if he should say anything.

Taker did this.

All of these people, even people Seth had not yet met, they all had their life ruined in some way because of Taker and his followers. They all had to be stopped.

Shawn was walking past the living room when he heard Justin talking. He knew the story of what happened to Heath and Drew that day. He knew all of these people's back stories. Families torn apart, houses and memories burned away, fear, near-death experiences...everyone here was a victim, no matter how tough they acted.

Shawn tossed up a small bottle of amber-colored liquid before catching it. His eyes hardened as he silently walked away.

There was much to do in so little time.


	9. Chapter 9

She strolled into his room, tip-toeing past blood puddles and skeletons. "Daddy~" she giggled, cutting the man off. Cold blue eyes met her brown ones and she smiled. "Daddy~ I want him. Please tell me I can have him" she pleaded. He scoffed, standing and towering over her.

"Not this one. He's mine." He told her firmly. She frowned, a crazed look appearing in her eyes. "They're always yours daddy. You had your turn. You lost him. I want him." She hissed. His eyes went dark and he grabbed her by the neck, hoisting her up.

"Mind your tongue, girl." He spat. Her crazed look increased and she laughed. "Daddy, let me go after him. I can bring him back" she beamed. He grunted and let her go. "You're lucky I'm waiting until I've got everyone to strike. Go before I change my mind." He grunted.

A smile crept to her pink lips and she nodded, dashing away.

||~Next Morning~||

Seth awoke feeling like shit. He sat up, frowning when he saw both Roman and Dean had left. He exited the room and looked around, hoping to hear them. His ears twitched when he heard music. He walked down the hall and saw a room cracked open. Natalya was standing in the room leaning over a table. Seth felt like he was invading but he saw she was crying. In her hands was a tablet, showing what looked to be a homemade music video.

It was of her and surprisingly enough, the tan woman Seth saw from his dizzy spell was there. He assumed that was AJ. He made his way into the room and gently took the tablet.

"Nattie, stop beating yourself up" he said. The blonde woman sighed and looked away. "I don't know what hurts more, the wound, her leaving, or the words she said." She whispered before wiping her eyes. Seth saw a hollow fire in them.

"I'm going down to the Dungeon." She muttered, striding off. Seth sighed and looked out the window, seeing a woman wandering around, looking hopelessly lost. He felt bad so he made his way downstairs, walking to her.

"Ma'am, are you okay?" He questioned. She looked startled before she blushed. "Ah..yes, I'm really lost. Do you know how to get to the mall? I'm so lost..." She sighed. "Ah, yeah, I've just got to ask to borrow one of the cars-"

"I have one. I would ask one of my friends but they both drove off" she muttered. Seth frowned. "That's kind of rude...call them back?" He suggested. She nodded and called. About five minutes later, a sports car pulled up with the two twins that Natalya took care of.

"Um...why don't you two know how to get to the mall here?" He questioned. One of them scoffed. "I don't shop in this backwater town but Summer is so determined to go to this one." She huffed. Her sister nodded. Seth felt like something was extremely wrong but then a haze came over his mind and he nodded, getting in the car. It was almost like someone was forcibly telling him to.

The blonde woman grinned, humming an oddly familiar tune.

"Da da,  
Dada da da  
Da da dada  
Daaaa~ da da da"

||~Meanwhile~||

Jo Jo ran into the gym, eyes wide. "Seth left!" She cried. Dean lost all focus and punched a wall. "WHAT?!" He and Roman snarled. She flinched.

"H-He got in the car with the Bella Twins and some blonde" she stammered. Natalya's eyes grew. "No! We need to go after them! Kharma warned us about them!" She broke into a run with Roman ahead of her and Dean nearly shoving her out of the way. Jo Jo, Eva, Justin, and Alicia followed.

||~With Seth~||

Seth felt dizzy. His mind was in a haze and he wasn't sure what he should be doing. A small part of him told him to remember. Remember all that Johnny told him.

"Not everything is as it seems"

Seth's mind cleared and he felt panic spring up in his chest. "Stop the car." He ordered. None of the women listened. He growled and unbuckled and the blonde beside him frowned. "What are you doing?" She questioned. "Lady, you can buy a map. I'm getting out" he hissed. She tilted her head, frowning. "I see daddy hasn't trained you well" she uttered, eyes going wide.

Seth's blood ran cold.

The cat quickly threw his morals away, slamming the twin who was driving into the steering wheel and shoving the blonde away, throwing himself from the car. He curled up as he rolled on the hard asphalt, hissing in pain when he got scraped up. He heard the car crash into something.

Looking up, Seth saw the twins hissing angrily, exiting the car. Before his eyes, they transformed. He looked up, seeing two identical harpies. Summer exited the car, a dark look on her face. "Go ahead and run, kitty. I'll make you mine. You can dance for me like my other pet. You know him." She grinned. Realization hit Seth like a ton of bricks.

"Johnny is alive." He whispered, standing. Summer smiled, her hands glowing with black magic. "Daddy made you think he died to set you straight. You never know what's reality or not with us. Who knows, maybe those two you've started to fall for don't exist at all. Maybe you're still chained up in Daddy's room, dreaming this up. You don't know anything" she grinned. Seth felt his heartbeat increase. He felt memories of Dean and Roman start to slip away. All of his friends and all the progress he made up to this point, slipping away.

Was this all fake?  
Had he begun to fall for two people who didn't even exist?

Seth stopped, clenching his fists. "No." He spat. He looked at the three women with fury. "I won't fall for that. I know these people are real. The pain they share with me...I feel it. You three can go fuck off." He spat. Summer's eye twitched. "Hah... You will be mine!" She screeched. She ran at him while both twins dove at him.

Seth ran as fast as he could, ducking down when a twin flew at him. He grabbed a rock and turned, hurling it into one of their faces. She screamed in rage and Seth grabbed her ankle, slamming her into the concrete. She cried out and Seth was hit in the chest with a blast of burning hot magic. It tore a hole in his shirt and his head knocked against a tree, splitting. He groaned and Summer leaned over him with a bottle of red liquid.

"Drink up, kitty"

||~DR~||

Dean and Roman had managed to follow Seth's scent to the woods. Natalya pointed, spotting the car wreck a few yards ahead of them.

They saw a blonde woman holding Seth's head up, pouring something in his mouth. The two men roared in fury and exited, dashing towards the woman. She stood and backed away. "Seth! I'm scared!" She cried. Seth slowly rose to his feet, a faraway look in his eyes and blood dripping down his face. Jo Jo frowned. "His eyes...they're like AJ's" she stated. Roman and Dean ignored her. "Come here, kitten. We're here" Roman offered. Seth gracefully walked over and when he was within arm's reach, an enraged look came over his face. He swung and punched Roman hard in the jaw before kicking Dean in the stomach and axe kicking him in the back of the head.

"You call yourselves Doms? I can't stand either of you." He spat. Roman stared at him with his eyes wide and Dean slowly stood again, a cold look coming over his face. "What did you just say?" He growled, standing chest-to-chest with Seth. The cat grinned, tilting his head. "Am I speaking another language or something?" He taunted. Roman's surprised look faded to that of one of pure rage and he stepped up too. "Have you lost your fucking mind?" He snarled. Seth's face broke out into a Cheshire-like grin.

Alicia frowned. "Stop guys. Something is wrong with Seth. He wouldn't talk like this..." She trailed off when a low chuckle rumbled from Seth's lips before he headbutted Dean and went to tackle him. Roman snatched him off and threw him to the ground, pouncing with a primal roar as he rained punches down on the smaller feline. Dean stood and snarled, stalking closer but Natalya stood in front of him.

"S-stop it. My girls are right. Something is wrong with Seth" she stated, a tremble in her voice at the familiarity of the situation. Justin and Evan went to pry Roman off as Seth began to cry out in pain. "R-Roman stop!" He cried. Roman's rage washed away into confusion as Seth sat up and scooted away, staring at him with a horrified expression. "What the fuck is going on?" He growled. The blonde from before strode forward, holding a bottle of red liquid in hand. Seth saw her and he went to get away but she was faster and she forced it down his throat. He coughed violently before shaking his head, the fear once in his eyes washing away back to the hollow emptiness from before.

Realization simultaneously hit everyone hard.

Natalya shook with rage. "You...you bitch. YOU TOOK HER FROM ME!" She snarled, bolting past everyone. Nikki went to intercept but Natalya kneed her in the stomach before grabbing her by the hair and swinging her violently towards the wrecked car. Brie came after her next but Eva clawed at her stomach, taking her down. Natalya threw a kick at Summer but the blonde sidestepped.

"Oh, poor you. I wasn't the one who took your pet. Uncle Kane did. You can forget getting her back. Uncle Kane has taking a liking to her and she's drank enough to lose her will completely. In fact, ALL of you can forget getting anyone back! Daddy has started giving this to all of our pets. They're just hollow shells now. You all are going to die if you make me and Daddy mad. I just want the kitty" she purred, punching Natalya in the face. The Canadian woman snarled, grabbing her hand and twisting it roughly before kicking her in the throat and shoving her to the floor.

Justin's eyes went dark. They had been drugging anyone they kidnapped with whatever that liquid was and it made them loose all will to fight back.

That meant Heath...

A howl of fury ripped through the air and Justin dashed at her, wanting nothing more than to present this woman's head to Wade, Sheamus, Hunter, Matt, Natalya, and Punk on a silver platter. Seth blindsided him, spearing him to the ground. "Get the fuck off of me Seth!" He snarled. Seth stared blankly at him before smirking darkly, viciously punching Justin in the head. Dean came over and grabbed Seth, ripping him off of Justin and trapping him in a sleeper hold. The cat hissed and kicked before he slowly faded out of consciousness.

Natalya was about to rip the woman's throat out when she was pulled away by a large man. He tossed her aside and picked Summer up. Roman, Justin, Dean, Natalya, and Eva lunged but he put up a barrier blocking them. Summer stomped her foot. "What are you doing Antonio?! I want Seth!" She snapped. The bald man rolled his eyes. "Boss wants you back. You and the harpy twins. We got in contact with Paul and Brock. Boss needs everyone back so we can plan our next move" he told her flatly.

She growled, leering at Evan, who was holding a battered and bloody Seth. Dean exchanged a hate-filled look with Roman when Paul and Brock were mentioned. "Just wait. Daddy will kill you all and I'll get my kitty." She spat before turning and walking away towards the Bella Twins.

The man turned, smirking. "I suggest you all run. It won't be fun to kill you all at once" he chuckled before they all disappeared.

Natalya fell down to her knees and let out a scream of anguish. Taker was behind AJ's betrayal. She should have known. Justin cursed and went to find his motorcycle. Dean sighed and started to head to Seth and Evan when he noticed Roman wasn't moving.

The man was staring at his hands, body trembling. Dean put a hand on his shoulder. "Rome-""I hit him, Dean. I beat the hell out of him." Roman muttered. Dean looked over to Seth, seeing the unconscious man already bruising and bleeding. From where Dean was standing, Seth's eye was swollen, his lip busted, and bruises decorated his face and chest. Dean cursed and kicked over a rock.

"We need to go. We'll heal him in the car"

||~Hart Dynasty~||

Seth woke up and instantly felt scared out of his mind. His body was sore and he hurt all over. He glanced around, noticing he was in the room Bret gave to he, Roman, and Dean.

A whimper left Seth's throat as he recalled seeing Roman above him, a rage in his eyes he'd never seen before. Dean wasn't too far off. Both looked ready to kill him and Seth had no clue why. His ears perked when he heard the door to the room jiggle. He quickly scurried into the closet and curled up in a corner, shaking.

Roman sighed when he entered his room. It had been exhausting briefing everyone else on their findings. To say that it didn't end in a handful of enraged Dominants nearly destroying the dining room would be a lie. Dean was behind him and he pointed to the bed, noticing an absence of a certain two toned cat. Roman looked towards the closet, hearing muffled sobs. It broke he and Dean's heart knowing they had caused it but Roman was beating himself up a lot more than Dean was. The large man gently opened the door, seeing Seth curled up in a corner under a coat.

"Seth-"  
"P-Please...I d-don't know what I did but I'm s-sorry...please d-don't hit me again...d-don't kill me...I-I'll leave you two alone" Seth trembled, getting up to dash away. Roman grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. He held Seth's face in his hands, frowning. "I'm sorry. I should have known she drugged you. The words you said and your actions just made me so mad but that's no excuse. If you want to hit me, go ahead." Roman took a step back but Seth shook his head, trembling. "I-I didn't know I hurt you two...everything was hazy...I-I would never..." He whimpered. Dean grabbed him from behind and held him against his chest.

"We're sorry baby" he murmured into Seth's neck. Seth blushed, looking away. "I forgive you both...I'm sorry too" he murmured. Roman shook his head and sandwiched Seth between him and Dean. "You didn't do anything wrong. How about Dean and I make this up to you? Just relax" he gently pushed Seth against the bed and crawled up to his right, pressing his mouth to his neck. Dean had turned his head, claiming his lips. Seth let out a small sigh, slowly relaxing.

He tensed up again when he felt Roman's hand trail down his stomach. He pulled away from Dean, nervousness, fear, and excitement shining in his eyes. "W-What are you doing?" He stammered. Roman ignored him, easing down his sweatpants. He watched the larger feline's every move. Dean chuckled and graced his thumb over Seth's bottom lip. "Relax kitten. We're going to make you feel good. Promise. Now open" he ordered. Seth looked up at him and willingly accepted two of his fingers, coating them with saliva. Roman hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his boxers and dragged them down, leaving Seth completely nude.

Seth blushed, trying to cover himself but Roman grabbed his wrists, growling slightly down at him. "Don't move." He ordered. Seth stared owlishly up at him before nodding, a blush on his cheeks. Dean licked his lips and pushed Seth's thighs apart, enjoying the view before he circled Seth's pucker. "Relax and accept it Seth. We got you" he cooed, pushing a finger in. Seth hissed slightly but otherwise had no complaint. Roman claimed his lips and his fingers curled around Seth's semi-erect cock. He stroked him in time with Dean's slow thrusts and lightly bit Seth's lip.

Seth shook slightly, his cheeks incredibly red as he looked away. Dean turned his face back so he and Roman could look at him. "Why are you turning away?" He whispered, adding another finger and curling them. Seth's eyes grew and he let out a small gasp before staring at them in shock. "P-please..." He begged as Roman slowed his pace on his now fully hard cock. "Please what kitten? You've gotta be specific" Roman cooed, brushing his thumb over Seth's sensitive head. Seth jolted and trembled again, unconsciously spreading his legs even more for Roman and Dean. The two growled in approval.

"M-More...please, sirs...give me more" he wined. Dean stared at him with darkened eyes and Roman licked a trail down his neck. "More of what?" He inquired. A pathetic noise ripped from Seth's throat and he looked up at them. "Inside..." He mumbled shyly. Roman and Dean broke all contact with him and he whimpered, but didn't move. Roman made it clear that he wanted him to stay still until told otherwise. This didn't escape Roman or Dean, and both men growled once more in satisfaction.

"Seth, get up here and strip me" Dean ordered. Seth quickly sat up, pulling Dean's shirt over his head and tossing it somewhere haphazardly before working on his belt. Roman watched the two with a heated look. He peeled his clothes off while both men were preoccupied but pushed against Seth when he was fully nude.

The cat gasped and looked back at him, biting his lip. Dean tilted his head from the front and made Seth look at him. "Tell us what you want, kitten. What can we do to make you feel good?" He questioned softly, stroking Seth's cheek. The two toned cat leaned into the touch and mewled. "Whatever makes you happy will make me happy, sir" he responded honestly. Dean knelt in front of him and pressed his lips to him in a hard kiss. Seth wrapped his arms around his neck and kissed back, unconsciously pushing backwards to feel for Roman. He whined when he didn't feel him behind him anymore.

"Relax, Seth. We've gotta make sure we do as much as we can so you don't get hurt" Roman's voice came from behind him. Seth felt him come closer and he arched his back when Roman returned, running his fingers up his tail. Dean bit down on his ear lightly and he let out a shaky mewl. The sound of a cap being popped open made Seth's ears twitch and he smelled vanilla. "Lube?" He questioned softly. Dean stroked his cheek and pressed his face into Seth's neck. "We're going to make you enjoy this. I know you never could before. Relax and let us take care of you" he ordered sweetly. "Y-yes, sir" Seth responded, squirming a bit when Roman poured the cool substance over his hole.

"S-sirs?" He murmured. "What's wrong baby?" Roman questioned over his shoulder. Seth blushed. "May I...um..." He trailed off slightly, eyes darting between Dean's member and Roman's. Roman chuckled and sat beside Dean, handing Seth the bottle. "Go ahead then" he said.

Seth smiled bashfully before squirting a fair amount into his palm. He pressed his hands together before spreading the clear substance over both of his Dominants, coating their cocks with it. Once done, he sat back, curiously licked his palm, an innocent smile coming to his face. Roman growled slightly and grabbed his wrist, pulling him into his lap. "We're both gonna be in at once, kitten. Think you can handle it?" He questions seriously, lightly nudging Seth's entrance with his cock. Seth nods without hesitation. Roman hums, finding a spot on his neck and sucking on it as he began to push inside of Seth. The two toned man hissed in pain, his ears flattening. Dean moved closer, rolling one of his pert nipples in between his fingers and flicking his tongue over the other.

Seth gasped slightly, his cock twitching against his stomach. Roman let out a small growl when he was fully sheathed inside of Seth. He kissed his cheek before slowly thrusting up. Seth's hands curled into the sheets by Roman's thighs and he let his head fall against Roman's shoulder. "Y-you're huge, sir" he mewled, licking the underside of Roman's jaw. Roman smirked and built up a steady pace. Seth was a mewling, panting mess in his lap but he could tell Dean was getting impatient.

Pale eyes leered fiercely at him and he chuckled, laying on his back without pulling out. Seth blinked in confusion. "W-wha...?" He sounded. Dean crawled over him, holding himself up. "Ready for me too? It's gonna hurt" he warned. Seth swallowed thickly and nodded. Dean captured his lips as he started to push in slowly. Seth cried out into the kiss, clawing at the sheets and ripping them at his now-extended claws. Roman cooed sweet nothing's into his ear and Seth let out a startled sob when Dean was completely inside.

Dean screwed his eyes shut to push away the urge to completely ravish the smaller feline. He gently leaned forward, licking away the tears rolling down Seth's face. Oh so slowly, he and Roman began to move. Seth was uncomfortable for the first few minutes until Dean and Roman hit his prostate in union. He arched his back and let out a loud moan, eyes squeezed shut. Roman smirked and Dean licked his lips, wanting to draw out more of those delicious sounds. They both continued their slow, love-making pace until Seth began to wine in protest.

"Please sirs...faster...it feels so good" he admitted. With that, the feral side in both men broke free. Roman turned his head to kiss him while Dean grabbed his hips tightly. Both men began to speed up, much to Seth's delight. The three continued their semi-aggressive love making for quite some time, with Seth's moans and mewls of bliss growing louder and louder over Roman and Dean's growls of possession and dominance. Soon, Seth began to tremble again, chest rising and falling quickly.

"S-so close..." He whimpered. Dean-who was kissing Roman over his shoulder-grunted in agreement and slowly began to pull out. Seth's eyes grew and he grabbed Dean's hips, pulling him back. Dean stared at him with wide eyes. "What are you doing kitten?" He questioned. Seth looked up at him before looking back at Roman.

"I-inside..."

Dean growled and leaned closer. "Do you know what that means? It means you'll completely belong to us forever" he told him, despite the fact that he continued to pound away. Roman could only offer a grunt of confirmation from below them. Seth nodded. "I know...that's what I want...please..." He begged again. Dean groaned and looked at Roman. The man hummed in satisfaction and began to whisper sweet nothing's into Seth's ear. "Cum for us, kitten. Let go" he ordered just as he and Dean hit him with a hard thrust. He cried out in sheer bliss and released hard against Dean's chest. Both of his Doms came soon after, filling him.

They stayed that way for a moment before Dean slowly pulled out and rolled to lay at Seth's side. Roman pulled out next and walked to the bathroom within the room, coming out with a wet rag. He carefully cleaned Seth before wiping the cat's cum from both his own and Dean's chests. He tossed the rag in the sink and returned to the bed, smiling as Seth nuzzled as close to him as he could without breaking contact with Dean. "Thank you, sirs" Seth purred sleepily. Both Dean and Roman stared at him with wide eyes as the tell-tale rumble left his chest. Both men smiled victoriously.

They had made the cat purr for the first time in his life.

||~Next Morning~||

Seth woke up whimpering and mewling in discomfort. Once again, he woke up with both of his Dominants absent from his side. His ears twitched when Dean and Roman walked in, playfully slapping at one another. Seth frowned and let out a loud wine to get their attention.

They stared at him and he pouted, his bottom lip jutting out. "You know, I kinda don't like waking up alone" he huffed. Roman and Dean crawled to his sides, showering his face with kisses. "We're sorry kitten, but we had to pick up a little present for you" Roman said.

Seth sat up a bit more, his head tilting. "Present? For me? Why?" He questioned, ears and tail swaying gently with curiosity. Dean held out a black box and Roman nudged his cheek with his nose. "Open it Seth" they both chimed.

Seth took the box and sat it in his lap, looking to both men for confirmation before easing the lid off. His mouth fell open and tears welled up in his eyes. It was a black collar with onyx and ruby studs and it had a small heart shaped sterling silver tag dangling from the middle with his, Dean, and Roman's names engraved in it.

"I'll take your silence as a good sign" Dean teased. "T-This is mine?" He questioned shakily, trying to wipe the tears from his eyes before they fell. Roman took it from his hands and he and Dean both fastened it around his neck. "It's yours, Seth" Roman told him. "It does have your name on it" Dean teased. Seth let out an excited mew and threw himself on top of both of them, burying his face in both of their necks.

"Thank you so much...I love you, sirs"


	10. Chapter 10

Dean and Roman stared at him with their mouth agape. Seth's eyes grew and his hand flew up to his mouth. Dean grabbed his shoulders tightly. "Seth-"

"Hey! Get your asses up! We've got work to do, you assclowns!" Chris snapped as he banged on their door. Seth quickly pulled his boxers and shorts on and quietly tied the drawstring, waiting by the door for Dean and Roman. Dean growled darkly, silently wishing he could maul Chris for his terrible timing. Roman sighed and lead the way out.

Seth made sure to stay behind them, his head down. He was mentally scolding himself. Had he really just let that slip out? Did he actually love them both? His ears twitched when he smelled the familiar and welcoming scent of perfume and vanilla enter his nose. He looked up, seeing Natalya standing there with Evan, teaching him how to use a bow staff. There was a dead serious look on the small cat's face and Seth wondered idly what finally made him get serious.

Dean watched him out of the corner of his eye, opening his mouth to call to him. He stopped when Bret approached them, his eyes locked onto Seth's. The two toned cat stood still, eyes narrowing only slightly. The corner of Bret's lips curved slightly and he stood before him.

"I've been informed you were drugged yesterday, boy" he starts, scanning Seth carefully. Dean's eyes flicker over to Roman's and both men let out a small grunt of disapproval. Seth bristled and Bret flat out ignored them both. "Taker and his daughter seemed to have taken a liking to you, boy" he continued. Seth crossed his arms, eyes cold. "With all due respect, sir," Seth put an emphasis on the word, a slight bite to his voice that neither of his Dominants had heard before. "I'm well aware of their sick obsession with me but at this point, something bigger is at stake. Look around you, Bret" Seth dropped the formality and stepped closer, unafraid.

"I count four men and a woman missing, each of their Dominants in this room right now. There's another, whom I've bonded with while in that hell and God knows how many others are in that man's grasp. I've been told there's a war coming. Our first priority is to kill that son of a bitch and every single one of his followers and get back those people before they're too far gone or get killed. I don't give a damn about myself" he snapped. All eyes flew over to the irate cat and Bret stared at him with an emotionless stare before a small smile appeared on his face.

"Boy, for a Sub, you've got a fire in you. I like that. Come, all of you" he said, walking towards the weapons case. The trio followed him and blinked in surprise when he opened it. "In here, I want you to take whatever you want. I'd encourage you to grab something you know how to use. We're running out of time" He said, stepping aside. Roman quietly reviewed the weapons while Dean grabbed a pair of brass knuckles, a dark smile coming to his face. Roman chuckled and grabbed a belt with several knives strapped to it. Quickly, the Samoan hid the knives all on his person, grinning devilishly at the small look of surprise that came from Seth.

Speaking of, Seth's fingers ghosted over twin pistols, nodding slowly at Bret and turning. "I'm gonna have to ask a favor" he said seriously. The three other men arched a brow and he continued. "The bullets, I want special ones. Do you know anyone that can help?" He questioned. Dean looked at Roman and the man grunted in disapproval. "Don't give me that look, Dean. You know Dwayne isn't going to help worth a damn and Jimmy and Jay haven't been in contact with me since...the incident" he muttered. Seth's ears twitched in confusion and Bret rolled his eyes.

These kids were terrible at keeping their skeletons in the closet.

"What incident?" Seth questioned. Dean looked away and Roman fixed him with a hard glare. "Stay in your place, kitten." He growled. Seth's ears flattened and he lowered his eyes, a frown on his face. "Sorry sir..." Seth muttered. Roman ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Fine. Lets go see them." He muttered. Seth blinked at him in surprise before smiling, putting the guns in their holsters before following Dean and Roman out.

Bret closed the weapons case quietly, lost in thought.

||~At the Usos'~||

Roman knocks on the door quite loudly, lips down in a frown. After a moment, the door opened and a shorter man stood there, looking tired and annoyed. He blinks in surprise and smiles at Roman.

"Cuz" he greets, a playful grin on his face. Roman smiles a little and the man lets them inside. "Jay, get your lazy ass up. Roman came back" he huffs. His twin brother-who was shirtless playing Madden-jumped up, nearly tackling Roman, had the larger man not anticipated it, barely even moving as they hugged. Seth blinked curiously and Dean crossed his arms, unimpressed.

"Dammit Jay, let me go" Roman grunted. Jay snickered and looked over at Dean before staring at Seth. He arched a brow when he noticed the collar. "Who's this?" He questioned. Roman gave Seth's head a pet. "His name is Seth. He's ours" he said, growling slightly. Jimmy chokes on his beer and Jay makes a small noise that Seth couldn't identify.

"I see...you sure you're okay since the-"  
"Jimmy. Shut the fuck up. We came here for a reason." Dean growls. Jimmy frowns and Jay makes that indescribable noise again. "What do you want then?" He questions. Seth steps forward and holds out his guns.

"I need you to do me a favor."

||~Later~||

Seth sat outside on the roof of the Hart Dynasty, staring up at the clouds with a troubled look. He heard an amused whistle and looked behind him, seeing Shawn approach him. He scooted over to let the older man sit down. Shawn smiled gratefully at him before laying down, hands behind his head. Seth looked back to the sky and let of a sigh.

"You seem troubled. I'd think you'd be happy, what with that shiny collar and all" he teased. Seth found himself idly running his fingers over the collar and he blushed, thinking back to when Evan did it. 'Guess he was right' he mused.

"Dean and Roman are hiding something from me. I tried asking but Roman got all defensive and Dean looked troubled...I'm not used to this...and I kind of...dropped the 'L' bomb this morning..." He trailed off. Shawn whistled and tilted his hat back to look at Seth through his sunglasses. "You seem spooked. Do you actually love them?" He questioned. Seth ran his fingers through his hair, wincing when they caught on a few knots. "I don't know...I never got the chance to love. I was an outcast all through school, and Taker kidnapped me before I ever got in a relationship. I...I don't know what love is supposed to feel like" he admitted quietly. Shawn sat up and removed his sunglasses, carefully folding them before he looked up into Seth's eyes.

"Love is that warm feeling you get in your stomach. Love is the tears that you want to fall down your face. Love is very powerful. It's sacrifice. If you're willing to throw your whole life away, just to know someone else is safe, that's love. Love is wanting to live and die for someone, to want to be in their life so bad it hurts. Love is a crazy, psychotic, sickening, delightful, exhilarating feeling. It's confusing and wonderful Seth and only you know when you're in love" he said quietly, looking up towards a small flock of birds that flew overhead.

Seth clutched his hand over his heart and looked up as well. "Shawn...do you know what Dean and Roman are hiding from me?" He questioned, subtly changing the subject. Shawn sighed and nodded. "I can't tell you kiddo. It's not my place and Hunter would have my ass if I went meddling too much in the affairs of another Dom's Sub. It's considered an insult of sorts and I'd be stepping out of my place as a Sub." He frowned when he saw Seth sigh in defeat. Shawn placed a hand on his shoulder and pulled him into a side hug.

"All I can say is that whenever you do find out, try not to over react. You don't want to make them feel even worse" He told him quietly before walking back inside. Seth watched him go with furrowed brows before biting his thumb nail.

What were Dean and Roman hiding?

||~Undisclosed Location~||

Heath trembled violently when Jinder dropped him. He coughed up blood and weakly sat up, not even trying to cover up. He couldn't anyway. Mahal leaned down to him, lifting his chin to stare into his hollow eyes. He smirked when he felt Heath tremble in fear. "Say you love me, Heath. Say you love me and I'll make you my own prince. You and Drew." He cooed. Heath growled and spit on him, eyes ablaze. "I only love Wade and Justin. I'll never love you!" He barked. Jinder snarled, harshly backhanding Heath, making his head knock against a wall. He cried out and Jinder grabbed his hair in a tight fist.

"You ungrateful whore! Do you honestly think you'll ever see them again? No, we'll kill them all. I'll even bring you both of their heads so you can look at them when I'm fucking you're pretty little ass. Do you honestly think Wade wants you back after I've had you? After we've all had you? Hell, even Aksana has had a go at you. You're nothing now but a worthless piece of trash." He growled. Heath looked away and a growl was heard from across the room.

"Oi, leave him alone and come pick on someone your own size, if you got the balls, you disgusting fuck" a thick Scottish accent sounded through the room. Jinder wiped his cheek and strode over to Drew, punching him in the face. Heath winced at the cracking sound and Drew's pain-filled scream that followed. Jinder chuckled and bit down on Drew's neck, drawing blood. The Scottish cat hissed in pain and anger and thrashed but went still when Jinder punched him hard in the stomach. Drew cried out and crumpled down as much as he could chained to the wall. Jinder stepped back and admired his work. "Drew, you should know just as well as Heath about my balls. C'mon baby, I've bust them all over you" he grinned wolfishly when Drew threw up violently. He stepped on the back of his head and forced his face into his own bile.

"As much as I love walking in on you push the whores' face in vomit, Boss is calling for us" Show grunted from the doorway. Jinder groaned and walked out, tossing the key at Heath. "Let him out and clean the fuck up. Don't piss me off" he warned before exiting the door. Heath heard it lock from the outside as he unlocked his cuffs, breathing in slight relief before he wobbled over towards Drew. He was limping from both the intense pain (and bleeding) from his behind and an injured leg.

He uncuffed his friend and carefully picked him up, frowning at the stench. He helped Drew over to the sink and washed him off, frowning at the lost look in his eyes. "Drew-"

"O'Shea has probably moved on. Look at me. I feel like I've betrayed him" he whispered. Heath's temper flared. "And I don't?!" He barked. Drew flinched and Heath scratched his arm. "I'm sorry..." He murmured. Drew nodded and held his dirty hair before his face, cringing at the caked blood in it that clumped and knotted it together. "We can't take much more of this...Jeff's completely hooked on whatever Taker's been giving him, Shannon's not too far off, I don't know where Summer took Fandango, AJ's lost her mind...I feel like I'm dying, Heath. I don't want to let these people kill me. I feel like I owe it to O'Shea not to die by these people." He stated adamantly. Heath's arms flew around him in a desperate hug. "Stop talking about suicide! You...you can't leave me alone too!" He wined. Drew sighed and looked away.

"Lets start cleaning."

||~UDL~||

Taker stared at Summer with narrowed eyes. "I thought you said you could do it" he snapped. She flinched. "He resisted the blood." She replied lamely. Taker stood and grabbed her by the neck, squeezing tight. She struggled, eyes wide.

"Do not waste my time, girl." He growled. She nodded weakly, vision fading. Taker tossed her aside and surveyed his underlings. "Jinder, go after them. Tonight, we begin" He ordered. Jinder didn't look happy at all but he nodded.

"I'll leave immediately"

||~Hart Dynasty~||

Seth and Justin were sparring in hand-to-hand combat when Justin frowned, sniffing the air. His mouth curled into a snarl and he looked around frantically. Seth blinked. "What?" He questioned.

"That smell. I smell him. The man who took Heath and Drew." Justin growled in reply. Seth hissed, looking around. Suddenly, the house shook and the lights went out. Seth and Justin stood back to back, adjusting to the darkness. Of course Seth did this slightly better but Justin adjusted faster, shoving Seth to the floor as something sliced through the air. "Shit. We need to get out of here." Seth hissed, claws extending. Justin grunted and dodged another attack. The two made a break for the door and a dark chuckle followed them.

"I told you I'd be back for you, didn't I?"

Justin stopped, eyes glowing in rage as he lunged at the sound of the voice. Seth frowned. He heard the voice come from the other side of the room...

Thinking fast, Seth reached out and yanked Justin back by the back of his neck. Lighting flashed outside and the two saw the gaping fissure in the ground where Justin was running. The wolf growled and nodded at Seth in a thank you as the two ran out of the Dungeon.

Jinder clicked his tongue and clutched his chakrams, now interested in this game of cat and mouse.

"You can run but I'll catch you. Don't you want to see Heath? And I know you want to see Fandango, cat. Don't you want to see how beautifully damaged everyone has become?" He questioned slyly. Justin and Seth skidded to a halt, a shadow casting over their eyes from their own curtain of hair.

"What have you monsters done to Heath?" Justin growled. Jinder smirked, stepping into a small pocket of light in the dark hallway. "Personally, I've wrecked him and Drew. It's beautiful. You should hear how they sound when they beg for mercy. Actually, if you two be good and come here, I'll take you back and show you how it sounds. Then you both can add your screams to it" he chuckled. The fur on Seth's tail bristled and he hissed loudly while Justin growled. "You're going to die tonight" he spat. Jinder tilted his head. "Says who?" He shot back.

"Says the two Doms who want you dead, fella." A thick Irish accent came from immediately behind Jinder and his eyes grew, turning just in time to meet a large boot to the face. He stumbled back and a dark roar echoed through the hall and he was tackled to the ground by an angry Brit. Justin cracked his knuckles. "Seth, get out of here. Find Roman and Dean or even Bret" he instructed. Seth nodded and ran the other way, leaving the three to handle their own personal vendettas.

Seth ran to what he believed was Bret's room and saw a hulking man trashing the room. "Paul! He's not here!" He spat. A smaller, older, balding man was shaking his head. "Well we need to move on, Brock. Taker sent us to-" the man suddenly turned, eyes fixed on Seth, who was in the doorway. He sniffed the air a bit before smirking. "You smell like Roman and Dean. I see they've gotten another toy for me to break" he taunted. Seth trembled, taking a step away. "Who the hell are you? What are you talking about?" He questioned shakily. Did this man know what his Doms were hiding?

"Tsk tsk. You would've thought that they would've given up, after what we did to Brad and all." The smaller man, Paul, said while shaking his head. Seth frowned, feeling another dizzy spell. 'No,' Seth thinks, backing away. 'This is the worst possible time for this' he muses in a panic as he turns and runs away. Brock runs after him, laughing evilly. "Run kitten!" He sneers. Seth can't even run at his full speed because of his unavoidable dizzy spell.

Then it hits full force.

||~D~||

Sparkling blue eyes...  
A mischievous smile...  
Warmth...  
Dean, Roman...  
But that's not Seth sharing it with them.  
A small whisper.  
A name.  
'Brad'

||~D~||

Seth trips and violently tumbles down a flight of stairs, screaming in pain when his hip hits a step hard. He looks up to see Brock smirking down at him, flexing his pectorals as he slowly starts descending. Seth whimpers and struggles to get up, heart pounding.

"Do you wanna know what I did to him? I destroyed Brad Maddox. You look confused, kitty cat" Brock tilted his head. "They haven't even told you, have they? They haven't told you that you're just a replacement for Brad? He was a cat too, y'know. He had a collar like you do, but it was blue. Had Dean and Roman's names engraved on it. He clutched that collar till his last breath." Brock chuckled darkly and Seth felt tears gather at his eyes when another dizzy spell hit.

||~D~||

Seth looked on, invisible.

A small brunette lay draped over Roman's shoulders, sound asleep as the man carried him. Dean was walking ahead, a cigarette in his mouth. He had a genuine smile on his face, as did Roman. The two looked vibrant.

The scene changed and Seth watched on as the brunette ran, rain and blood running down his face. Brock was running after him, smirking maliciously. He reached the man and knocked him into a wall, wrapping both of his hands around his throat and choking him. He clawed at his hands and cried out for Dean and Roman. Brock smirked but was speared away from the small cat by an enraged Roman. The Samoan man stood, eyes ablaze while Dean checked on the cat. He weakly coughed and Dean let him rest against a brick wall, standing and coming to Roman's side.

Seth could see both men's ears and tails now.

Roman snarled and he and Dean lunged at Brock. The larger man clotheslined Dean and grabbed both of Roman's hands, tossing him aside into a parked car. He sauntered over and viciously attacked Roman before he could recover, bashing his head into the car's hood. Dean stood and ran over, throwing punches to Brock's spine. Brock let Roman go and turned, sneering. Dean backed up, panicked when Brock ripped a parking meter from the ground, swinging it full force at Dean's head.

The cat tackled him out of the way just in time and Dean sat on the ground in shock while Roman was just beginning to come to, struggling to sit up despite his head injury. He was bleeding all over and the world was spinning. Brock scoffed and grabbed the cat from behind, by his collar. He smirked viciously at Dean and Roman while the small man struggled, tears running down his face. He reached for both of them, screaming their names for help. Dean stood and tried to get his legs to work fast enough as did Roman, who rolled off of the car but collapsed. Dean got about two feet out of arms reach before Brock dug his nails into Brad's neck, a crazed look coming to his face as he viciously and swiftly slashed them to the right. Dean's face instantly got covered in the red spray and the collar pathetically fell to the ground.

Brock pushed the cat at Dean and walked away, knowing neither man would come for him with their toy bleeding to death. He disappeared into the night while Dean held the cat close, screaming in panic. Roman weakly crawled over, horror etched over his face. They both held him, their blood and tears mixing. The man smiled weakly. "I'm so sorry...I just wanted to protect you both...I love you, y'know?" He grinned weakly before coughing up blood that landed on Dean and Roman's cheek. Both men watched as the light left his eyes and he went limp in their arms.

Seth looked away from the scene, slowly walking over to the bloodied collar on the ground. He picked it up and examined the engravement on it.

'Brad Maddox'

||~D~||

Seth blinked and realized he was crying. He looked up, seeing Brock had finally reached him, grinning down at him. "So now you know, kitten. I'm going to end you like I did Brad." He grinned. Seth looked away, face emotionless besides the tears running down his cheeks.

"Thank you"

Brock looked confused. "What?" He questioned. Seth looked at him of of the corner of his eyes. "Thank you for telling me." He said before his lips quirked. "But I'm afraid I'm not going to sit around and let you kill me. I've got things to do" he stated calmly. Brock went to speak but it turned into a scream of pain and surprise when Seth quickly drew one if his pistols, shooting him in the knee.

Once the bullet entered, a severe burning sensation came over him and he screamed. He still had enough strength to tackle Seth and knock the gun away. He used his size to pin Seth, wrapping his hands around his neck much like he did with Brad. "Get off him!" A voice called and Brock's back was suddenly on fire. He rolled off of Seth, seeing an enraged Punk leering down at him. Seth went to retrieve his gun as Punk maliciously fired blast after blast of fireballs at Brock.

"Where's Paul?!" He barked. Brock growled and stood despite the burns but crumpled again when Seth shot him in the back. The exploding feeling from before doubled and Brock's body pulsed with pain. "What the fuck is in that you little slut?!" He snarled. Seth stared emotionlessly at him. "You won't live long enough to find out." He stated, side-stepping as Roman came stampeding down the hall. He lunged at Brock, throwing knives at various main arteries on the man before turning and giving Dean a boost. Dean flew at Brock, knocking him down before he straddled his stomach, a cold and near insane look in his eyes. "I'll see you in hell." He hissed before punching him as hard as he could in the throat, crushing his windpipe. Brock went still and Punk turned, spotting Paul staring down at him with fear.

"Paul...you backstabbing son of a bitch!" He snarled and ran upstairs, leaving the three cats alone. Dean stared at his hand, feeling Brock's powers from Hell transfer over to him. He scoffed and stood, staring emotionlessly down at Brock's corpse with Roman before they both snapped out of it, remembering Seth.

They turned, seeing the two toned cat sitting in the window, staring at them both with cold, emotionless eyes. The moon was a crescent behind him, low in the dark blue sky and he slowly clicked the safety back on his guns before putting them back in their holsters.

He ran a hand through his hair, laughing emotionlessly. It echoed in the hall. "So is it true?" He questioned, putting his head against the window. "Is what true, baby?" Dean questions carefully. Seth's eyes narrow and he tilts his head. "Am I some kind of replacement for Brad? Is that all I am to you? Just some other cat you drew in to replace him?" He questioned, fingers pressing against his collar.

Dean's jaw went slack and Roman tensed.

"I see." Seth nodded once and jumped down, landing before them both. "You can have this back then. If all you see is Brad when you look at me, I have no desire to be "yours". Sorry I can't be him." Seth muttered, going to remove his collar. Roman grabbed his wrist tightly and pulled him into his arms. "It's not like that, Seth. I swear. Yes Dean and I love Brad still, we always will, but we've never compared you two. We collared you because we want you. Seth Rollins, you are who we want. I'm sorry we didn't have the heart to tell you but please don't do this. We never meant to hurt you. I...we love you, Seth." Roman said quietly. Seth's heart jumped and Dean buried his face into his neck, pressing his lips to Seth's collar. "We're sorry Seth." He whispered.

Seth trembled and clung to them both.

||~Later~||

Everyone gathered in the Dungeon, staring down at the mutilated form of Jinder, the burnt form of Paul, and the bloodied form of Brock.

"I've called Kharma to come here and dispose of them. Are you all alright?" Hunter questions, looking over everyone. Natalya was popping Sheamus' shoulder back into place while Roman healed Seth's hip and Michelle washed blood off of Justin's temple. Wade wrapped his own split knuckles.

"Luckily we haven't had any casualties today. Tomorrow, we're moving to a different location. Bring as much as you can" Bret instructed firmly.

Everyone nodded.

||~UDL~||

Heath looked up when the door finally opened. He saw Aksana stride in, staring down at them. "You two are lucky" she purred. Drew frowned and she sat across from them, crossing her legs.

"Jinder Mahal has been terminated." She cooed. Heath's face lit up and Drew relaxed only slightly. She arched a brow and laughed. "I'll "forget" to take you back to the cells. Have a good night's rest" she cooed, sliding a bag of food over to them. Heath's mouth watered and Drew looked at her. "Why do you work for Taker? You're nothing like him." He said. She stood and turned to leave.

"You wouldn't understand"


	11. Chapter 11

Evan cracked his eyes open and yawned, finding comfort in the warmth of both John and Randy. He smiled at them before frowning.

The war was real.

He was lucky yesterday and didn't have to fight but he knew that may not always be the case. He'd have to defend himself or risk himself and the people around him, most of all his Masters.

Evan's warm eyes ran cold and he stood, dressing quietly and grabbing the retractable bo staff Bret gave to him. He gently held the steel pole for a moment before growling, holding it tight and exiting.

Two pairs of blue eyes watched him go, a small impressed smile on the faces of Cena and Orton.

||~Dungeon~||

Justin leaned over Seth as the cat showed him, Jo, Shawn, Michelle, and Eva his bullets. "They look like normal bullets" Michelle observed with little interest. Seth nodded before holding his pistols up. Jo Jo blinked and gently ran her thumb over the dial-like piece just past the safety. "Are guns supposed to have this?" She questioned. Shawn's brows furrowed. "No gun I've ever seen" he said, eyes lighting up.

"I'd hope not. Jimmy and Jay changed the guns that Bret gave me. It's a lot easier than individual bullets." Seth grinned. "So? What does it do?" Justin questions as Evan walks in. The small cat joins their group. Seth holds his empty gun up and pulls the trigger, a thin ball of fire exploding from the chamber. The group of Subs gasps and he quickly swipes his thumb over the dial. It turns, clicking in place on a forest green section. Seth steps back and aims the gun at the ground, pulling the trigger once more.

The ground rumbles for a moment, a large crack appearing.

"How the hell did you do that?" Eva questions. Seth smiles. "It runs on small shards of several elemental stones. I don't necessarily need bullets to use it. The bullets just amplify the power." Seth explained. Jo gently ran her hand over it. "May I?" She questions softly. Seth shrugs and lets the teen take the gun. She swipes the dial and it moves to a yellow section. She aims the trigger away from everyone else and pulls the trigger. Nothing happened.

"That's the thing about them. Since there are so many shards, you'd need either a lot of elemental control or powers from Hell" Seth explains. Eva takes the gun away from her and pulls the trigger. A small bolt of lightning comes out and creates a hole in the ceiling. The lights flicker for a moment. And Eva drops the gun, stepping back quickly. The other Subs can't help but to laugh and Seth shakes his head with a smile, putting bullets in his pistols and putting the remaining bullets away.

"Okay. We need to start working on our combat. We did good by killing three of them yesterday but we don't know how many more are left and I know Hunter and Bret. They're not just gonna let us sit around and get attacked again. We're going in. Get the other Subs" Shawn orders quietly. Eva nods and her and Jo Jo run off to do just that.

Meanwhile, Justin holds his hands out, summoning two black chakrams. Seth stared at them in shock. "Weren't those-" Justin nods. "I ended up killing Jinder in the end. I couldn't have done it without Wade and Sheamus but they let me get the killshot. Afterwards, I felt this dark electricity pulse through me and these chakrams came to me." He explained. Shawn nodded quietly. "So I count Seth, you, Dean, Eva, Michelle, Hunter, Natalya, and myself as the ones in this house with powers from Hell. There's of course Kharma too" he observes. Michelle hums in response and Eva returns with Caitlyn, Rosa, Alicia, Layla, and the Funkadactyls.

Michelle stands before the women. "Show me your weapons, girls" she says. Eva cracked her knuckles before holding her hands out. A small line of fire circled her hands and two bands appeared on both hands, one over her wrist and one over her knuckles. The group watched as four steel claw-shaped blades appeared from the band on her wrist and extending past her knuckle band by about 8 inches. Michelle whistles. "Good job, Weapon X" she teases before looking towards Jo Jo. The teen pulled two fans from garter belt straps below her skirt. She flicks them both open and Michelle nods at the blades that come from it. "A blade fan, sleek and sexy" she comments.

Naomi and Cameron's Pom poms could be used as bombs now thanks to an explosive combination of their elements, Alicia unzipped her top, pulling it open to show off the actual sticks if dynamite she had hidden on her, Rosa held up her prized baseball bat, Layla showed off this yo yo she had which had hidden poison darts inside and Caitlyn held up a sword.

Michelle nodded silently and held her hand out summoning a rapier. She ran two fingers over the side of the weapon and nodded at the girls again. "Come out back with me. I want to teach you all I know" she says with a certain hardness in her voice. The Divas nodded and followed her out.

Shawn watched them go before turning to Justin, Evan, and Seth. He sent them a lazy smile as he tied his hair up. "Boys, we're gonna do a bit of our own sparring. Come at me" he beckoned them forward. The three exchanged a look before looking back at Shawn, lunging at once.

||~Kitchen~||

Natalya leaned against Roman's left side, idly playing with his hair while Dean wrapped his knuckles. Roman had an arm around the woman, looking down at her. "How do you feel today?" He questioned. Her hand wandered to her stomach and she closed her eyes. "Determined. I need to find my girl. God knows what Taker and his followers have done to her. My main priority is getting AJ back and protecting the rest of my Divas." She stated, voice unwavering. Roman nodded quietly and Dean sent the woman a supportive smile.

Randy leaned against the wall by the window, watching as Michelle trained the Divas. His eyes narrowed slightly, calculating and determining which of them would actually be alive when this was over. He wouldn't say it aloud to the broken woman but Randy knew some of these woman wouldn't make it. He knew some of them in that very room possibly wouldn't live. His jaw clenched and he looked over to John.

The pale man had started wrestling with Dean, both men not really putting too much force to their hits, just working on grappling and holds. Randy's icy eyes softened.

John was the definition of a modern day superman. He worked hard for everyone he cared for, no matter what. The man wouldn't give up, ever. He'd been in plenty of situations where John put his very body on the line to save him, even it the older man was injured. The dog didn't quite know when to give up and Randy hated him for it at first. The persistence, the Boy Scout-like tendencies, that attractive dimpled smile...

Then Randy slowly began to unravel John Cena. The man may have been hated by many people, but he never let that affect him. In fact, it fueled his fire. John was a damn hard worker and underneath that nice act was an animal. Something primal, feral. Even when John was beaten down and bloody, he'll fight, because the animal inside of him would protect all that it loved.

Randy blinked, realizing he'd been staring. He looked away as Hunter entered the room, sledgehammer in hand. He sat down and surveyed the room, making sure everyone was present.

Well, mostly.

Matt was staying up in his room and Sheamus was having a large bruise on his thigh tended to by Kharma.

Hunter ran his fingers through his hair and sat down heavily. "All of you, strap up and be ready by 5. We've got a lead." He stated. All of the Doms perked up and Hunter leaned back. "After Kharma disposed of Brock, Paul, and Jinder, there was a spike of energy in our radars. Adam, Chris, and Jay reported it being in the swamplands northeast of here. The spike disappeared after that but I'm sure the illusion Taker puts up was weakened when the underling's bodies were disposed of. It had to change to accommodate the loss of three souls" he explains. Everyone in the room nodded quietly.

And so it begins.

||~UDL~||

She kicked her feet up on her desk, twirling a sai in her hand. Her chocolate eyes reflecting in the blade. She looked up when another woman entered the room.

Aksana crossed her arms over her chest, looking down at the woman. "Tamina, aren't you supposed to be downstairs with Maxine and AJ?" She questioned. Tamina arched a brow before standing, stabbing the sai hard into the hardwood desk and approaching Aksana. She looked down at her, smirking. "What do I have to worry about? They'll come here and I'll kill them all before they can get to the toys. And you," she leaned closer to Aksana, getting close to her ear. "You'll owe me. And then I can finally have you" she purred.

Aksana rolled her eyes and pushed past her, sitting in her desk. She removed the sai and threw it a Tamina, frowning in displeasure when she dodged it. "Take those back to Maxine and enough with your petty flirting. Go." She ordered.

Tamina held her head up proudly and sauntered out.

||~Hart Dynasty~||

Jo Jo paced around, chewing her lip. It was nearly time to leave. Eva Marie walked up to her, hugging her tight. "Girl, don't ever let them see you spooked. You're better than that. We're gonna kick some ass and then when we get back, we'll pig out on sweets, how's that sound?" She questioned. Jo Jo nodded quietly and Eva rolled her eyes, pressing her lips to the smaller girls. Jo Jo pulled her close, gratefully accepting.

They both pulled away with a yelp when both of their asses were slapped. Natalya stood before them with a smile on her face. "We'll have plenty of time to do that later, c'mon girls" she says kindly, turning and leading them out. Naomi and Cameron send them a sly look while Rosa, Alicia, and Caitlyn sends them kissy faces.

Layla paused, looking back at Michelle. She was rubbing her rapier down with a blank stare before she sheathed it, turning to her friend. She smiled cryptically at her before walking past her. Layla chewed her lip and followed.

In Hunter's room, the man was ready to exit his room when Shawn grabbed him. He turned and nearly fell when Shawn threw himself at him, catching him off-guard with a passionate kiss. He poured all of his emotions in it, clinging to Hunter for dear-life. The taller blonde held Shawn tightly, accepting the kiss. When they pulled away, he looked into Shawn's eyes with a frown. "You alright?" He whispered.

Shawn nodded slowly, pressing small kisses to Hunter's face. "I love you Hunter...and no matter what happens, always remember that." He said softly. Hunter's frown deepened. "Stop talking like you're gonna die. You'll be okay...we'll be okay" he whispered. He sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than he was trying to convince Shawn.

Shawn kissed his forehead and nodded. Hunter turned to leave again and this time he didn't see Shawn clench the bottle in his pocket before they left together.

Roman adjusted his wrist guards, an emotionless look on his face while Dean wrapped up his hands. Seth pulled his hair back into a small bun and slid gloves over his hands before clipping his vest closed. He, Dean, and Roman were dressed in all black with tactical vests, a gift curtesy of Roman's twin cousins. The duo had made them resistant to magic and of course they were bulletproof. As Seth adjusted his gloves so they fit perfectly, he remembered that neither twin could fight with them.

Well, they could, but Roman had made it clear that he didn't wish for any more people close to him to be in danger and both men respected his request.

Seth's brow's furrowed. "Why can't Kharma fight?" He questioned. Dean scoffed quietly. "Something about a code. In exchange for her knowledge and immortality, Kharma can't meddle in the affairs of Satanic fuckers like Taker unless directly threatened. We're all on our own with our own personal vendettas, we have a right" He explained, pocketing his brass knuckles.

Seth nodded and felt Roman embrace him from behind, pressing his lips to Seth's pulse. Seth purred quietly, smiling when Dean pressed himself against Seth's front. The three took a moment just to enjoy their own warmth and affection for one another before Seth slid from between them. He leaned forward and kissed Roman quickly but passionately before doing the same with Dean. The two grinned down at him and lead him out.

Evan stared at the staff in his hands, eyes hooded. He was sitting in John's lap, waiting for Randy. Evan had never seen Randy go into a ritual like this before but John told him it was completely normal.

When Randy knew he was in for a serious fight, he'd eat an assortment of poisonous plants, various venoms, and whatever other toxic substances he could get his hands on. Randy could produce his own venom (he was a viper, after all) but he added extra toxins to the mix because it was a kind of insurance. Just as elemental stones boosted the power of their holder, the venom medley would enhance Randy's own venom and toxic 'powers' thousandfold.

This also came with the side affect of no kissing until Randy had completely flushed the venoms out. It aggravated Evan to no end. He felt as if he couldn't properly show his affection for both his masters and he hated it. He'd never give one more attention than the other but the venoms were pretty much forcing him to. John gave his head a pat. "Relax Ev. Lets go downstairs. Everyone is waiting" he said. Evan stood and nodded, a firm look on his face.

Punk sat in his window, his foot up on the wall while his free leg hung down. He stared out of it, clutching a necklace in his palm. His green eyes looked down, scanning the item. It was a Jeff's.

Punk ground his teen together and looked over to Matt. The older Hardy had became a shell of his former self, barely speaking any more. Shannon had been taken first, and that was painful enough for him, but he still had his fire to get the blonde back. And then Jeff tried to find his friend...and he was taken too. Matt had gone on a rampage (Punk will admit, he assisted in he destruction this time) and then completely fell off of the face of the earth.

Until Seth came with leads.

Punk idly considered thanking the two toned cat. He was their lead and he could be the one to finally get them to their loved ones. Punk jumped down and put the necklace on, clutching it for a moment before he went to Matt, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "You ready for this?" He questioned. Matt nodded, a spark lighting in his eyes. Punk grinned and looked over to Sheamus, who had been laying across his bed, feigning sleep while holding Drew's sword.

Feeling Punk's gaze, the Irishman sat up, a cold smirk on his face. "Lets go. I don't know about ye lads but I've got some pent up aggression here that needs to be dealt with" he growled. Punk scoffed and Matt nodded, shouldering the door and leading the way out.

Justin clutched the chakrams, staring at his reflection in the blades. Wade watched him silently before he came to his side, breathing in the African's familiar scent. Justin relaxed and looked over at him, seeing Wade's expression soften. "Stay safe, angel. I can't lose you too" he whispered, cupping Justin's cheek.

The smaller man leaned into his touch and nodded. "We'll get Heath back. We'll be whole again" he responded. Wade chuckled airily before holding Justin tight, nearly squeezing the air out of his lungs. Justin keened and Wade nipped at his ear, grinning when it twitched. They pulled away, exchanging a look before making their way out.

They all gathered in Bret's foyer, the wise Canadian nodding to each of them. "There are cars for all of you. Be careful. Chris, Jay, Adam, David, Tyson, and I will come when we can. Go" he says. They nod and Natalya jumps into a car with her Divas, clutching the wheel tightly. Evan smiled sheepishly at Randy and John before sliding the motorcycle helmet on, holding on tight to Justin. Randy hissed slightly and got in the back row of the car Hunter, Shawn, John, Matt, and Sheamus were in. Roman and Dean sent Seth a small nod before they got into a seperate car with Punk. Seth himself had his own motorcycle.

"Hunter will lead the way. Follow him" Was all Bret said before they took off.

||~UDL~||  
Heath waited until Jack dropped Shannon, wincing at the pained hiss the blonde let out. The "All American" laughed before leaving and Heath grabbed Shannon, pulling him close against him, hoping to warm the man up with his own body heat. Shannon's breathing was thinning and Heath was starting to panic.

"S-Shan? C'mon.." He whispered. Shannon cracked an eye open and stared hazily up at him. A small smile came to his face. "'M not gone yet. S'gon take a lot more than that to off me, got it?" He slurred. Heath nodded slowly, hugging Shannon tight.

Drew was in a similar situation, wrapping Jeff up in blankets. The man shivered anyway, lips twitching. "I want..." He trailed off with a whimper and Drew shook his head. "Stop it, Jeff. Think about Punk. Be strong for him" he scolded. Jeff's body trembled and tears sprung up in his eyes.

"I'm a filthy whore and he'll hate what I've become"

Drew visibly stayed emotionless but on the inside, it felt like he'd been slapped in the face with a cold hand. Of course Jeff would be worse off than the rest of them, (Save AJ) he was part of Punk's straightedge lifestyle and Taker had ruined it with what Aksana called 'Devil's Blood'. It was mind numbing and addictive. It removed all of a person's will and made them a puppet.

Even Drew himself wasn't sure if Punk would accept Jeff once he realized the man was addicted to the closest thing the dog had seen to a drug without it actually being such.

The Scott held Jeff tightly, squeezing his eyes shut as Jeff let out a broken sob.

||~UDL~||

AJ swung her feet, giggling as Big E strode past her. He stopped, looking down at her. "What are you laughing at?" He questioned. She tilted her head.

"People are gonna die~" she sang.

Big E leered at her before walking past her. "Crazy rodent" he spat, loud enough for her to hear. AJ's smile faded slowly and a dark look crossed her face as she watched him turn the corner. She slowly stepped down from the table she was sitting on and sneered.

"I'm not crazy." She hissed to herself.

||~In the Woods~||

They had left their vehicles under a cover of trees and started walking. Seth felt uneasy. "Isn't walking in a large group bad?" Evan whispered. John placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and he relaxed. "It's only until we get inside" Hunter responded.

Seth was checking his surroundings when he felt a chill. He looked to his left, spotting an old house. There were vines growing up the side of it, appearing to strangle the run down home. The windows were barred up and dirty and Seth looked towards the porch.

There was a man in a rocking chair, slowly swaying two and fro. He seemed like he didn't belong in a setting. He had on pure white pants and a Hawaiian shirt with a straw hat on, covering his eyes. Seth was more than unnerved by him. He didn't even seem to care about the large group of people passing by. He just rocked on slowly and Seth could've sworn he saw a smile stretch across the man's face.

'Follow the buzzard'

"Seth, c'mon!" Dean hisses. Seth blinked in surprise, noticing he was behind. He jogged to catch up, not hearing that man's dark chuckle.

Finally, they reached the back of what could only be described as a manor. Randy grabbed the chain and lock, melting it away with an acidic secretion from his palms. He pushed the doors open and they all strode in.

"You all are more idiotic than I expected" a dark voice growled. Seth froze, looking up. He saw those icy eyes piercing into his chocolate ones and he trembled, quickly pressing himself against Dean and Roman for comfort. Dean grabbed his hand and Roman pressed himself against their backs, glaring up at Taker.

The man tilted his head back, a dark and booming laugh escaping his chest. "Oh how cute. I see you think you can just erase my marks on you. It doesn't work like that. You belong to me, boy." He growled, squeezing his hand into a fist.

Seth felt a terrible pulse of pain and he fell to his knees, screaming. Everyone's eyes grew and Taker yawned, not caring about the bloodcurdling screams Seth was letting out.

"I would kill you all now but I'd rather not soil my hands with filth" he grumbled before snapping his fingers. A hole opened in the floor and suddenly they were all falling.

Taker smirked and walked away.

||~Dining Hall~||

Jo Jo let out a grunt as she landed hard on the floor. She sat up, expecting to see all of the others. She only saw Eva and Evan. Panic bubbled up in her chest and she shook the woman awake.

"Eva!" She cried. Eva sat up and rubbed her head. "Shit...he split us up!" She spat. Jo frowned and looked around, spotting a woman staring down at them with little interest.

"So, you three are what I gotta work with? I'm insulted." She scoffed. Evan rolled off of the table. "Where's Taker?" He spat. The woman arched a brow. "It doesn't matter. I won't let you live." She leapt over the railing and dropped down, a chainsaw in hand. Eva shoved Jo Jo out of the way and they both rolled in the opposite direction as she landed. The woman pulled her weapon free, just in time to dodge Evan's swing. She smirked and kicked him in the stomach before lunging at him.

Jo Jo moved quickly, throwing one of her fans. It gashed the woman's arm and she howled in pain, pausing long enough for Eva to slash at her back, her claws on fire. The woman gnashed her teeth and turned, glaring. "We need a plan! Run!" Evan called, grabbing Eva's hand and bolting to the far end of the hall with Jo Jo in front. The woman rolled her eyes.

"You all are a bunch of disgusting rats. Scurry about all you want, you're dead." She snapped, revving her chainsaw and running after them. Evan let the women keep running while he turned, thrusting the end of his staff hard into their attacker's stomach, he swept her feet with it and went to crush her windpipe but she kicked him in the knee and again in the face as he fell. She rose, wiping her mouth for a moment. She stood and threw her weapon with all of her Hellish strength, smirking in delight as one went down.

One was bathed in blood.  
The other chokes on it.  
Evan looks up, eyes wide.

Then he screams in horror.


	12. Chapter 12

Evan's scream echoed through the room as Eva collapsed, the chainsaw buried in her shoulder. Jo Jo stared at her, unable to find her voice. The woman yawned, summoning her weapon back. She turned to Evan, smirking darkly. He scrambled up, bolting away, hoping to stall for the two women across the room.

Jo Jo scooped Eva up in her arms, hyperventilating and crying. "Eva!" She wined. Eva stared weakly up at her. "I guess we're gonna have to wait to pig out on those sweets, eh?" She joked quietly, blood running down her wound. Jo Jo trembled. "Eva please-"

"You need to kill me."

Jo stared at her, eyes wide. "W-what..?" She whispered. Eva stared at her, vision wavering. "If I die because of her, she gets the powers I have. Please. I want to still be able to protect you when I'm gone" she said weakly, voice straining. Jo Jo trembled and grabbed a fan from her garter belt, flicking it open. She choked on a sob and leaned down to kiss Eva's lips. She felt the woman kiss back weakly.

"I'm sorry, Eva."

Eva just closed her eyes and smiled as Jo Jo stabbed her in the chest. The teen sobbed, feeling Eva go still and a strong feeling pulse through her.

The bands that were on Eva's hands appeared on Jo Jo's and she stared down sadly at Eva's old weapon. She slowly pushed Eva off of her and stood, a shadow over her eyes.

Across the room, Evan was struggling with the woman, trying to knock the chainsaw free. It didn't help that she was manic with her movements. The cat was beginning to worry that he'd end up like Eva.

With that thought, a familiar blade fan came flying by, gashing the woman's cheek deeply. She roared in fury, looking over to Jo Jo as the fan returned to her. She flicked the fan, shaking blood off of it and putting it back on her garter belt.

"You killed her." She whispered.

The woman scoffed. "No, you killed her, rabbit girl." She smirked when Jo Jo stiffened. "You murdered your own ally. Poor girl. You'll live with that just long enough for me to send you to Hell with her!" She laughed loudly and Evan swung hard, cracking her leg bone.

Her eyes flashed red and she turned to decapitate him when Jo Jo lunged at her, stabbing her in the abdomen with Eva's claws. She snarled and dropped her chainsaw. Evan swung his staff hard, destroying the motor. "YOU LITTLE CUNT!" She snarled. Jo Jo kicked her to the ground and pounced on her, screaming in anguish.

"YOU TOOK HER FROM ME!"  
Slash.  
"SHE'S GONE"  
Chop.  
"I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU"  
Slice.

Evan pulled Jo Jo off of the woman, knowing full well she was dead if the gore was anything to go by. Jo Jo felt that awful pulse run through her and the blade on her claws disappeared in a yellow fire. She held onto Evan, sobbing loudly.

The cat kept a lookout for any other signs of danger and let her cry.

||~Cells~||

Drew's eyes narrowed and he looked around, noticing it was oddly quiet. Heath sat up a bit and they exchanged a look. "Something's wrong" he whispered. Drew stood, eyes ablaze. "Wrong? This could be what we need. Get Shannon, I got Jeff. We're getting the fuck out" he stated firmly.

Heath scurried over to Jeff and helped him up before staggering towards Drew again. Shannon could walk on his own but Jeff was a bit shaky on his own two feet so Drew put him on his back and began looking for a way out.

||~Summer's Room~||

Summer hummed as she ran her fingers over Fandango's cheek. "You'll stay with me forever, darling. You'll be my favorite toy" she purred. Fandango didn't respond, only staring blankly at the wall across from him.

Summer smiled and wrapped her arms around him. "Forever and ever~"

||~UDL~||

Natalya cursed under her breath and looked around her. She had fallen into some kind of room and it was dark. She frowned and listened closely, hearing footsteps. She looked up, seeing a large man leering at her from across the room.

"I wonder how many ranks I'll bump up for killing you" he spoke idly, swinging the chained ball to his mace almost methodically. Natalya wasn't the least bit scared. She dusted her pants off and summoned her whip, pulling both ends so it made a snapping sound before she glared at him.

"You're going to die either way. Tell me where AJ is and I'll make it painless" she growled. He snorted. "The rat? You must be her old Mistress. You must be the infamous Natalya Hart. And to think people used to respect a failure like you. You can't even keep your pets in check." He chuckled.

He stopped when he felt a burning sensation bloom across his cheek. He snarled in anger, feeling a burning cold from the wound, almost like ice.

"You bitch!" He snarled, running at her. She cracked her whip again but he disappeared before she could make contact. She was on her guard but he was too fast, hitting her hard in the stomach with the mace and then clothes lining her hard.

Natalya coughed violently, the skin torn on her stomach and dots dancing across her vision. He walked to her, foot on her stomach, stomping down hard. She grabbed his foot, trying to force it off of him but to no avail. He continued to stomp on her stomach, hoping to cause a fatal injury, all while laughing to himself and swinging his mace as if it were a mere child's toy.

A sharp slice of wind cut through the air.

The man screamed and Natalya saw his hand fall a few inches from her face, mace still in its grip. The man stood above her, screaming bloody murder and holding his nub. A familiar laugh entered the room and both of their heads snapped to the door.

AJ stood in the doorway, swinging the chains to her sickles much like how the man was for his mace. She tilted her head, her tail swishing behind her.

"Oh E...what happened to your poor hand?" She questioned, lip curling. "E" snarled. "You crazy little rat!" He barked. AJ's eye twitched and she smiled. "E, haven't I told you not to call me crazy?" She slowly inquired. Big E was about to snap at her again but she disappeared in a gust of wind and reappeared at his side, swinging and completely cutting his arm off of his body. He screamed again and AJ laughed, tossing her sickles left and right, carving and picking him apart.

She didn't stop until he was nothing more than a bloody pile of limbs. She spit in the direction of it and turned to skip out when Natalya grabbed her wrist. She stared at her hand before slowly looking up at the Canadian.

"AJ baby, it's me. Do you remember me?" She questioned. AJ frowned. Something told her she should remember but for the life of her, she couldn't. "Who are you? Do you work for Master Kane or Lord Taker?" She questioned. Natalya's heart sank. "Oh, AJ..." She trailed off, touching her cheek. "Try to remember me, baby. It's me. Natalya" she whispered. AJ felt the cloud over her mind shift violently, as if trying to block something.

"My head..." She rubbed her head, swaying slightly. Natalya frowned but her ears picked up another set of breaths and she grabbed AJ, diving out of the way of a pillar of fire. She kipped up and grabbed her whip's handle with a white-knuckled grip.

"AJ, come."

AJ perked up, running off towards the fire. Nattie reached for her arm but she drew back as another pillar of fire nearly scorched her arm.

A man walked through the fire, his inky hair resting on his shoulders and heterochromatic eyes glaring at Natalya from behind a red mask. "Master Kane!" AJ cheered. Kane rolled his neck on his shoulders, looking over to what used to be Big E.

"Did you do that to E, my little weasel?" He questioned. AJ nodded proudly, staring in wonder at the black mist that swirled around her sickle's blades. "He called me crazy. So I killed him." She cooed. Kane chuckled and looked to Natalya.

"She won't remember you, woman. I have molded her as I saw fit and now she's mine. You will die knowing that your favorite pet is gone. And three of your other pets have betrayed you" he chuckled. Natalya's eyes narrowed. "Three? The Bella's are only two-"

"There were three of our underlings within your circle of "Divas". The Bella's were compromised but you still haven't figured out the last one. She was the one who gave AJ doses of the blood. She was the one who lead to your precious AJ's betrayal." He grinned.

A shadow cast itself over Natalya's face and she ground her teeth together. "I see. I'll take care of her once I'm done with you." She growled. Kane arched a brow. "You can't possibly think you can defeat us both" he laughed, hands glowing with fire. AJ got in a striking position and Natalya glared at him.

"I can. And I will."

AJ bolted after that, her blades coating themselves in a poisonous film. She threw both of them but Natalya was too fast, deflecting them both with her whip. She grabbed one of the chains and started freezing the links. AJ growled in protest and disappeared in a gust of wind, reappearing below Natalya with a third sickle clenched between her fangs. She was about to slice at Natalya's stomach but the Canadian kneed her in the jaw, wrapping her whip around her neck and tossing her aside none too gently.

Natalya flipped out of the way of an oncoming fireball from Kane and crouched down. Kane growled and removed his jacket, running at her. She dodged most of his fire balls and hit the ground hard after tripping over AJ's chain. The weasel yanked hard on it but Natalya swung her foot, catching her off guard by the power in the woman's legs. She fell over and Natalya rolled out of the way of a firestorm of Kane's fireballs, snarling when one caught her shoulder.

She stood and backed up to regroup but Kane was two steps ahead of her and swept her feet, punching her in the heart before she fell. He chuckled, as the woman fell, heart stopped and no longer breathing. He walked off, snapping his fingers and setting her body on fire. He yawned.

"I would've expected the Hart Dynasty's princess to be more fun to fight. Oh well" he yawned. AJ nodded, trying to figure out why her heart felt so...sad. It was like that woman called Natalya meant something to her. She turned to follow Kane but stopped when she saw the color of the fire change from red to pink.

"What?!" Kane turned, seeing the fire grow bigger and bigger, crackling and growing hotter. From within the flames, two icy eyes flew open and the fire itself began to bend and stretch into the form of an egg.

It shook and cracks stretched across it, a loud caw resonating throughout the room as it flew open, a large bird appearing. AJ's jaw dropped and Kane snarled. "Impossible!" He barked. The bird's flaming tail unfolded and there Natalya was, sitting calmly among the plumes while petting the flaming pink feathers.

"You can't kill me." She said, legs crossed. The bird screeched and set Natalya down, flying over to Kane. He brought up a pillar of his own fire in a last ditch effort to save himself but Natalya was at his side in an instant. "I've been alive longer than you'd ever know. I'll be alive long after your gone. You will burn continuously for what you have done to my pet and my family" she snarled, punching him full force in the chest with her fist ablaze.

Kane caught fire, screaming out in agony and Natalya walked away from the flames as her Phoenix familiar devoured Kane. The bird cawed in satisfaction and flew over Natalya, returning to the woman in the form of her whip.

Natalya curled it up once more, attaching it to her belt. She could feel the heat coming from it and she ran her fingers over the handle. "I know, Gale. I'll let you out again soon. Thank you" she spoke to the bird within and the heat died down, signaling that the bird had relaxed.

Natalya looked over at AJ, who was staring at her with wide eyes. Nattie approached her but AJ backed up. "What are you? Who are you? You killed my Master!" She shrieked. Natalya didn't speak until she had AJ cornered. "He wasn't your Master. You were mine. You always were. I am your Mistress and you need to remember." She cooed, covering AJ's eyes.

Her hands were covered in that pink fire once more. It didn't burn AJ like it did Kane and it entered her head, burning away the mist clouding her mind. When Natalya pulled her hands away, AJ was crying, staring at her in shock. "I...I did all that...? Oh...oh my God, Mistress!" She cried, throwing herself into Natalya's arms.

The blonde held her tight, her body warm. She used the flames within her to heal any injuries AJ might've had. AJ trembled. "I...I didn't know...I..." Natalya shushed her and nodded towards the door.

"We'll talk when this is over. We need to get out of herd fast and find the Divas. I think I know who's the one who drugged you."

||~Aksana's Office~||

The Lithuanian hummed, looking down at a collection of monitors. "Tamina Snuka has been terminated, Askana" Maxine informed. Aksana nodded, looking fondly at a picture on her desk.

"I know. The women are in the library. You and the Bella's go. I'll take care of these two" she informed, pointing to one screen. Maxine grinned and nodded. "As you wish" she purred, grabbing her sais and running out.

Aksana's eyes drifted over to the monitor to the cells, seeing the men trying to escape. Her eyes softened and she ran her fingers over a switch. One that opened the cell. She flipped it and turned to walk away, not having to know that the four scrambled out.

"Poor souls. There is no freedom in this hell"

||~Cells~||

Drew stared at the bars suspiciously before picking Jeff up. "Heath, Shannon, let's go!" He ordered. Heath and Shannon ran out after him but Heath paused. "What about Fandango? We can't leave him here!" He stated. Shannon frowned and Drew shot him a look.

"We don't even know where he is. We don't have weapons and Jeff is too out of it to use his elemental powers. Do you think we have the time to look for someone else?!" He hissed. Heath flinched. "But..." He trailed off and Shannon put a hand on his shoulder.

"Let it go, Heath. We need to worry about ourselves right now. If we get out and find our masters, we can tell someone to come back for him. Right now, we've got our problems to worry about. We need to get the fuck out of here" he drawled, eyes fierce. The Devil's blood must've drained out of his system.

Heath sighed and nodded and they followed Drew away, looking for a way to freedom.

||~UDL~||

Justin wiped his mouth and looked around. Seth was at his side, fully alert. "Why is it I'm always stuck with you when shit hits the fan?" He joked. Seth sent him a small smile and they advanced. It looked like they were in the woods again.

"This makes no sense. We just left the woods!" Justin growled. Seth hummed. "It's an illusion." He stated. Justin looked around but he stopped short. "Seth. Do you feel the ground shaking?" He questioned. Seth looked down, nodding slowly.

"That's not good. That's not good at all. I know that scent. Hide. HIDE!" He hissed, running away and jumping into a dead tree trunk. Justin climbed a tree and hid within, the branches covering him.

A large man stomped into their view and Seth bristled.

Ryback.

The bald man glanced around, crystal blue eyes squinted.

"I can smell you both. Hiding is useless. Here kitty, kitty. Show me your little friend" he grinned and Seth had to force himself not to throw up. All the memories if the time that man had assaulted him came rushing back and Seth grabbed his pistols.

Ryback could hear Seth's breathing grow harsh but he made no indication that he knew where he was. Of course he knew where they both were but he'd play their game. It was much more fun that way. He made kiss noises again. "Here boy, c'mon out. I'm not gonna hurt either of you," he lied, grinning sinisterly. "I just wanna play with you. C'mon Seth, we had fun~" he chuckled.

Seth completely lost it and leapt from the trunk, firing a shot at Ryback with the dial on poison. The larger man sidestepped and smirked. "Peek-a-boo!" He chuckled, running full speed at the trunk. Seth realized his mistake and quickly scrambled out, jumping out if the way just as Ryback ran head-first into it, uprooting it and tossing it aside without so much as a scratch on him.

"C'mon little man. You should know better than to run from me." He grinned, kicking one of Seth's pistols out of his hand before reaching for him.

A chakram shrouded in black fire slashed into his back and he snarled, looking over at the tree Justin was in. The chakram returned to him and he jumped down, glaring at him. "You're not going to touch him" he snarled.

Ryback smirked. "What an attitude. Jinder told me about you and your little red head. Too bad he doesn't have the same fire as you anymore" he snickered. Justin's lips curled and Seth drew his second pistol, firing three shots into Ryback's back.

He glanced back, smirking when Seth realized they had no effect on him. "Nice try, kid. My skin's much too tough for your bullets" he snickered, holding Seth up by the collar. "I'm gonna break you both in." He laughed. Seth headbutted him but cried out in pain, feeling as if he'd headbutted a wall.

"You've got trouble listening, kitty cat. My skin is too tough for bullets, my bones are steel, you can't win" he laughed, tossing Seth aside. Seth holstered both pistols and scrambled over to Justin.

"I think we might have a problem" he mumbled. Justin's grip on his chakrams tightened. "I think that's the biggest understatement that can be made right now" he grunted. Seth frowned.

Ryback smirked. "I'll give you a head start, boys. I'll count to ten" he taunted. Seth and Justin exchanged a look.

"One, two, three-"

Both men bolted away and Ryback smirked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Okay, so from this chapter on my FF account, i started posting "creatures of the chapter, just to give a little description of some of the hybrids, yeah? yeah)
> 
> ***Creature of the Week: Kamaitachi or Wind Weasel***  
> According to legend, the Kamaitachi are a trio of wind weasels who move too fast to be noticed or seen. They are mischievous creatures who go around causing small cuts to people but they then return and coat the small scratches with an ointment that makes it so the injured person doesn't feel pain. The trio use razor sharp claws to cause these injuries and they travel together in a gust of wind. One knocks someone off balance, one cuts, and one heals and then they disappear. Afterwards, the victim is left with bleeding wounds with no pain.  
> Character of the Creature of the week: Wind Weasel AJ Lee***


	13. Chapter 13

Seth ducked out of the way as Ryback came barreling after him. The large man skidded to a halt and dodged one of Justin's chakrams as it came flying at his face. He snarled and Seth could see his muscles pulsing. "Did you see that?!" he questioned frantically moving out of the way once more as Ryback uprooted a tree and threw it at them. "It kind of looks like they're growing" Justin observed.

Ryback growled lowly and both of them could see he was enraged past the point of coherent speech, "Wait! What if he's a Berserker?" Seth gasped suddenly. "A what?" Justin questioned. "Warriors who drive themselves into a rage before battle…it boosts their power…shit" Seth stopped suddenly when he saw Ryback run headfirst into a large bolder, smashing it to pieces. The two heard a loud snort before the ground began trembling. Seth grabbed hold of a tree trunk to keep from falling and Justin crouched down. "Think he'll tire if we run?" Seth questioned. Justin shrugged but began backing up. "Run" Seth hissed.

Both of them darted away with Ryback charging for them.

||~With AJ and Nattie~||

Natalya suddenly stopped, feeling her heart aching. AJ looked over to her and watched the Canadian's fists clench. She bowed her head down and cursed. AJ nudged her gently. "Mistress? What's wrong?" She questioned. Natalya let out a small growl. "Eva…I don't feel Eva anymore" She whispered. AJ lowered her head. "I…I'm sorry" She mumbled. Natalya placed a hand on her head and nodded.

"We need to keep moving. We don't have time to mourn in the middle of a war" She stated coldly. AJ could still hear the underlying pain in her voice, however. She grabbed the handles of her sickles a bit tighter. Natalya felt another shift in the bond with her pets. It was like a shadow creeping over one of them. Her eyes narrowed and she drew her whip, cracking it hard against the floor.

Gale reappeared, screeching angrily and stretching his wings out as much as he could in the corridor. Natalya grabbed AJ's hand and led her to the phoenix. AJ hesitated. "Isn't he going to burn me?" She whispered. Natalya squeezed her hand. "Would I ever let you mount anything that would hurt you?" She questioned. AJ sent her a small smirk and Natalya laughed.

"Excluding the toys in the dungeon, naughty girl"

AJ blushed and placed her hand on Gale's feathers. Sure enough, it was pleasantly warm so she jumped on, sitting among the pink feathers of his back. Natalya leapt onto him as well, straddling the back of his neck. "Hurry. There's not much time!" She tapped his head and Gale screeched, flying down the hall. AJ squeaked and held onto his feathers tightly.

Roman and Dean were leaving a room when the firebird came zooming past them. Roman saw it first, snatching Dean back by the back of his vest before the flames could touch him. They both watched it disappear down the corridor. "Rome?" Dean questioned, straightening out his vest. "Yes Dean?" Roman responded, staring emotionlessly down the hall.

"Was that a fucking flamingo?"

"It's a phoenix, Dean"

"So a fire flamingo?"

"…Sure. Let's go with that"

||~UDL~||

Aksana made a detour before confronting the two Subs she was supposed to deal with. She slid into the room, her black heels clicking against the floor as she approached a glass cage. She pressed her palm to the cool glass, peering in at the one inside.

She was chained there, hanging upside down, bound by chains, eyes unseeing to the outside world beyond the blindfold on her face.

Aksana closed her eyes, letting out a sigh. "I am sorry I cannot free you yet. Don't hate me too much" She whispered. Of course the woman on the inside of the glass did not respond, but when Aksana turned, she froze, feeling the cold steel of a blade against her neck. She knew who it was without even having to look but she did anyway, eyes following the blade all the way up to a pair of icy blue eyes. She swallowed thickly.

"Hello Lord Taker" she greeted casually as if he didn't have a scythe held up to her neck. Taker tilted his head to the side and looked behind her at the motionless woman. "What are you doing here?" He questioned lowly, voice even and showing no emotion.

It rarely ever did.

"Just checking on Renee, My Lord. I was just leaving" She told him, hoping for no punishment. Taker chuckled and grabbed her by the hair. "Oh no. You came here, so you can stick around." He told her, voice firm. Aksana frowned and Taker let her hair go, walking to the glass where she once was and pressing his hand to it. The glass made a small hissing sound before powering, allowing him to enter the once confined space. He walked up to Renee and removed his glove, flexing his fingers for a moment before his hand began to glow. He sent Aksana a smirk before his hand phased through Renee's chest.

Then he squeezed.

Aksana flinched as the blonde began screaming bloody murder. She tried to look away but Taker chuckled. "Look at us!" He ordered. Aksana reluctantly looked back over, watching Taker sap power from Renee in one of the most painful ways ever. Renee's screams increased in volume when Taker squeezed. He pulled his hand back, and Aksana saw the powder blue of Renee's power change pitch black before disappearing into Taker's body. He put his glove back on and smirked, walking past Aksana.

"Get back to work" He ordered, disappearing in a black mist.

Aksana's fists clenched and she growled. "One day. One day I will end you" She spat, making her way out of the room quickly, temper at a fever pitch.

||~With Seth~||

Seth skidded to a halt, swiping the dials on his pistols to ice before shooting the ground where Ryback was running. The man slid and Justin leaped down from a tree, kicking Ryback in the back of the skull as he fell, forcing his face down into the ice. He backflipped off of the man before he could stand once more and crouched down, waiting.

Ryback shook it all off and snarled, eyes glowing red. "Feed me more" He droned on in a monotone. "Shit, nothing is working!" Seth spat. Ryback stood, his power rolling off him in waves. Justin lunged at him again but he grabbed his wrist, swinging him around violently before throwing him into Seth. The two toned man flew back and hit a tree trunk none too gently, crying out in pain. Justin held his wrist and backed away, a small whimper leaving his throat. "We're gonna die if we can't stop him" He panted. Seth carefully pushed him off and nodded. "We need a miracle" He muttered, watching Ryback grin in their direction, ready to charge. Both of them we too spent to get up immediately and they could only sit there and watch as the hulking demon came charging at them once more. Seth and Justin squeezed their eyes shut.

There was the sound of metal slicing into air and then Ryback howling in pain.

Both of the Subs snapped their heads up, staring at the back of someone unfamiliar. Well, unfamiliar to Justin, anyway. Seth stared at the man in surprise. "B-Brad?" He questioned unsurely. Justin looked at him in confusion before looking over to the transparent man. Brad looked back, smiling at him. "You…a ghost?" Seth couldn't even form a proper sentence but Brad nodded, walking over to them. Justin frowned and tried touching his hand, surprised when his hand phased right through.

"I've been watching. I can't do much, but I can grant three gifts between you and your masters" Brad told him. Seth frowned a bit. "But they were-"Brad shook his head, smiling. "They're yours now. Before I fully move on, I'll give each of you something extra to protect yourselves in this place. This is going to sound weird, but reach into my body and pull" He told him, laughing awkwardly. Seth's brows furrowed and Justin snorted, trying to contain a laugh.

Hesitantly, Seth reached into Brad's midsection, blinking in surprise when he felt something metal brush against his gloved hand. He curled his fingers around it and snatched outwards, falling back from the sheer weight of the weapon. Seth looked up, eyes growing when he saw he was holding a black and gold scythe. His mouth fell open when it folded into itself, landing in his lap. It looked a lot like an assault rifle in this form.

"That's my gift to you. I kind of cheated the rules a bit. Its two weapons in one. A scythe and a semi-automatic assault rifle. Good luck" Brad told him with a wink, dropping a belt of bullets into Seth's lap before disappearing. Seth and Justin stared at the new weapon in awe before looking at one another, smirking. "Let's go. Luckily Brad got rid of Ryback, we need to get back in the house and find someone." Justin stated, standing and dusting himself off. Seth tossed the belt over his shoulder and nodded.

"Let's find our way back"

||~In the Library~||

"There's nothing here but books!" Cameron complained, brushing dust off of her skirt. Naomi rolled her eyes and Alicia shook her head. "We're in a library, of course that's all that's here. We need to focus on finding Mistress" Kaitlyn huffed, keeping her hand on the handle of her sword. Cameron pursed her lips. "It smells musty in here though" She continued. Naomi, Alicia, Kaitlyn, and Rosa glared at her and she frowned. "What?" She inquired.

"At this point, I think killing you would be doing the rest of them a favor" A voice hummed from above. They all looked up and saw a woman sitting atop a bookshelf, twirling a sai in her hand. Nikki and Brie were behind her, standing back-to-back and smirking down at them. The Divas bristled.

"You've got a lot of nerve" Alicia hissed, eyes darkening. Kaitlyn drew her sword and Rosa gripped her bat with a white-knuckled grip. "Honestly, did you think you were our equals? We're above you. We'll always be above you" Nikki spat. Maxine crossed her legs, yawning slightly. "Aksana said she'd handle the other two girls. Let's get rid of these rodents before Lord Taker gets upset" She hummed, leaping down, sais ready to strike.

Kaitlyn shot forward, swinging her sword, attempting to knock one away. Maxine held onto her dual weapons and kicked Kaitlyn in the stomach, landing gracefully on the floor before hitting Kaitlyn in the chest with her palm. An electric shock ran through the two toned dog and she yowled in pain, stumbling back. Maxine towered over her, ready to stab her in the throat but she was hit hard by Rosa, knocking her over. She snarled and stood, turning only to get kicked in the face by Naomi and Cameron.

Alicia's hands burned with fire, and she scorched Nikki's angle, making the harpy snarl in fury. Brie swooped down behind her, about to slash at her back but Alicia ducked, pulling a stick of dynamite from her vest and blowing a small stream of fire onto the fuse, tossing it at her back. It exploded and Brie flew into Nikki, knocking her out of the air. Alicia growled and pulled out 8 more, each of them fitting neatly between the spaces between her fingers. She lit the fuses and tossed them, ducking behind a bookcase as they exploded as well, blasting a hole in the wall. She could hear Nikki and Brie screeching angrily on the other side.

Maxine stood, swiping blood from her lip and growled, electricity crackling around her. "You disgusting little rodents are going to regret drawing blood" She growled, and all of them could see her skin pulsing and glowing. "Guys, get away from her!" Kaitlyn barked, grabbing Rosa and ducking behind a bookcase. Naomi ran to the one across from them, dragging Cameron along. An eye encased in a gem appeared on Maxine's forehead and Maxine's voice was distorted when she spoke.

"You can't hide from me. I will devour you all" she growled, slamming her sai into the floor. Black sparks fused together to form disembodied arms and Maxine screamed. The girls held their ears, some of them not noticing the arms flying around looking to catch one of them off guard. That one was Cameron.

The girl was curled up on the floor trying not to succumb to Maxine's near deafening scream when one of the hands grabbed her. She began to scream herself as the electricity ripped through her. Naomi stood; ready to reach for her, but Kaitlyn ran over and snatched her out of the way before she could. "Let me go! Cameron!" She screamed. Kaitlyn shook her head. "If you touch it, it'll cook you too!" She snapped. Naomi watched Cameron for a moment before hiding her face in Kaitlyn''s hair, letting out a shaky breath as the arms dropped Cameron's still form to the ground. They returned to Maxine and she grinned savagely. The Bellas returned to her side, hovering just above the ground.

"You can't win against me" She purred. The girls all exchanged a look before Alicia stood, eyes hollow. "Kaitlyn, Rosa, get Naomi somewhere grounded. You three stay there" She ordered, fists clenching. The two toned dog and the Hispanic cat nodded, darting through the hole in the wall that Alicia made previously. Alicia cracked her knuckles and changed her stance so her feet were shoulder-length apart. "You've done enough" She growled. Maxine exchanged a look with The Bellas before laughing. "And what are you going to do? Yip at me?" She taunted, laughing with the twins. Alicia crouched down, placing both of her palms on the floor.

"No. I'm going to devour you" she snarled.

Her tail bristled before splitting several times. They grew in length and fire surrounded them, creeping up and engulfing her in flames as well. The three watched as the hybrid fully transformed into an auburn fox, her grey eyes leering darkly at them. Brie looked at Nikki in surprise. "Did you know she could do this?" She hissed. Nikki shot her a look. "Of course I didn't!" She spat. Maxine grabbed her sais in a white-knuckled grip and her lip curled. "I don't care what form you're in. I'm going to rip you apart." She hissed.

Alicia snarled and her tails all bristled, a psychic power constricting Nikki. She struggled, looking to Brie for help. Before her twin could move, Alicia used the psychic portion of her powers to completely rip Nikki's wings off. Her blood sprayed onto Brie and Maxine and she screamed in pain as Alicia dropped her to the floor. "You bitch!" Maxine snarled, lunging at Alicia. Two of her tails shot forward, grabbing her. Alicia jumped up and spun, slamming Maxine into the floor, leaving a small crater in the floor. When she landed, she ran over to the harpie twins, grabbing Nikki in her fangs and biting down. Nikki's scream cut short as she spat up blood and she cried, trying to pry Alicia's jaws off of her. Brie stared at her sister in horror and backed away quickly, fully intending to fly away to safety.

Alicia threw her head back and swallowed Nikki whole before she ran after Brie, stabbing her through the stomach with one of her tails. She turned the bleeding girl to face her, staring hatefully into her terrified eyes before setting her ablaze. Brie screamed out and Alicia devoured her as well. The fox turned, leering down at the crater where Maxine was. The raven sat up, glaring at her. "You think because you killed them means you can kill me? I'm above them both combined." She snarled, the eye on her forehead opening up and glowing yellow.

The room became enshrouded in darkness and Maxine leapt out of the crater. She ran for Alicia, grabbing a handful of her tails and slamming her into the floor before stabbing her in the chest with her sai, sending jolts upon jolts of electricity through her body. She howled in pain but swatted Maxine off of her, slowly rolling to her feet. The white fur on her chest was bleeding now but she did her best to shake off the pain. She already felt as if she'd failed Natalya by letting Cameron get killed. She didn't want anyone else to get harmed if there was anything she could do about it. Maxine flew towards a wall but she turned, placing her feet on it and using the momentum to jump back, covering her fist in black electricity and punching Alicia in the snout. The canine let out a yelp, pawing at her injured snout while Maxine jumped up from the floor and uppercutted her. She fell and let out a whimper, electricity crackling through her fur and continuously shocking her.

Maxine stood before her, smirking. "I'll hand it to you, you've got some power. I can't wait to steal it all away" She grinned, raising her sai once more. Alicia couldn't move with Maxine's electricity crackling through her body, making it hard for her to get her muscles to move. Maxine smirked and thrust the sai down to Alicia's neck.

Steel against steel.

Maxine stared in shock as her sai was knocked from her hand. It flew into one of the bookcases, embedding itself there. The sound of it reverberating echoed in the room and Maxine looked down in fury, seeing a sword covering the spot where she was once aiming. Her eyes grew and she looked to her right, seeing Kaitlyn there. The two toned dog smirked at her.

"Sup?"

Maxine didn't have enough time to react before there was something frilly in her hands. She looked down, brows furrowing at the pom pom. Kaitlyn jumped away as it detonated, knocking Maxine back. Rosa ran to her, swinging full force with her bat and hitting her in the stomach. Maxine coughed and fell to her knees. Kaitlyn snatched her sai out of the bookcase and placed it on one of Alicia's tails, petting the injured demon's stomach. Alicia let out a small keen, the tip of her tail curling around the handle. "Heads up!" Rosa called.

Maxine looked up weakly, just in time to see Alicia flick her tail, throwing her own sai at her. The weapon pierced through the gem, eye, and her skull, killing her instantly. Kaitlyn let out a sigh of relief when she saw Alicia use her powers to heal her wounded chest. Alicia stood, shaking her legs and tails out before bowing down. Kaitlyn and Rosa climbed onto her back and Naomi sent Cameron's body one last look before getting on as well.

The fox slowly made her way out.

||~With Nattie~||

Natalya grabbed handfuls of Gale's feathers and growled in pain. AJ frowned, her heart pounding. "Did someone else…?" She trailed off and Natalya nodded. "Cameron is gone" She hissed, feeling rage take over. AJ cursed under her breath and scooted closer to Natalya, wrapping her arms around her waist. "Are we going to where she was?" She questioned. Natalya shook her head. "Why not?" AJ inquired, completely puzzled. Natalya's eyes darkened.

"Because we're going to Layla"

||~With LayCool~||

Michelle glanced around, Layla right behind her. "Where the hell are we?" She muttered, rubbing her arms. There was an uneasy feel in the air and it was making her anxious. Layla didn't respond, only glancing around emotionlessly. Michelle stopped suddenly when she heard heels clicking against the floor.

Slowly, a raven woman came into view, wearing skin-tight black leather. Michelle drew her rapier, standing in front of Layla as if protecting her. Aksana crossed her arms, shaking her head slowly. "Are you sure you want to stand in front of a traitor?" She questioned. Michelle's brows furrowed. "What the fuck are you talking ab-"Her sentence ended in a choke as Layla wrapped the wire rope of her yo yo around her neck and pulled her down, cutting into her neck.

"This is our last dance, Chelle. Hope you don't hate me too much"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Creature(s) of the Week: Kyuubi no Kitsune & Phoenix***
> 
> ***Kyuubi no Kitsune**
> 
> Also known as the nine tailed fox, this demon fox is popular in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean folklore and is often depicted in different ways. In Chinese lore, anyone who encounters a nine tailed fox and lives to tell the tale is said to become an emperor or a lord. In Korean lore, nine tailed foxes yearn to be human and they do so by turning into a woman and stealing the life forces of males. Finally, in Japanese lore, these foxes are depicted to be evil and have a massive amount of power, an amount that makes them rival even the gods
> 
> ***Phoenix***
> 
> A legendary immortal fire bird of legend, phoenixes live in 500-1,000 year cycles before building a nest and setting both themselves and the nest ablaze. The fire burns until both are reduced to ash and from the ashes, the phoenix is reborn. The cry of a phoenix is said to form a beautiful song.
> 
> Character(s) of the Creature(s) of the Week: Nine Tailed Fox Alicia Fox & Phoenixes Natalya Hart and Gale***


	14. Chapter 14

Michelle sighed, looking back at Layla with a blank look. "Oh, Lay" she muttered before closing her eyes.

"You stupid little cunt." She sighed, eyes snapping opening as she turned and back fisted Layla in the jaw. She hissed and fell and Michelle rolled away from Layla and Aksana, glaring at them. Aksana watched Layla with little interest before turning to face Michelle. "I don't have the time for this." She muttered, holding her hand out. A black sludge appeared in her palm and she touched it. It formed into a black whip with thorns and Aksana grabbed both ends with either hand, pulling them and making a loud crack sound throughout the room.

"I don't have time for your games" she spat, swinging her weapon at Michelle. She rolled out of the way and dodged an array of poison darts that came from Layla's yo-yo. She grabbed her rapier from its sheath on her belt and lunged for Aksana, deflecting her whip with one shot and thrusting for a kill shot. She stabbed Aksana in the chest and grabbed the end of her hilt, using all of her force to slam her weapon through Aksana's chest, hearing her blood dripping off her blade. Michelle ripped her rapier free and turned towards Layla, growling.

"Now you can't hide behind someone else. You will pay for your betrayal to Mistress. She took you in, you ungrateful bitch!" She spat. Layla laughed, clutching her yo-yo with a white knuckled grip.

"Do you think she ever gave a rat's ass about us?! No! She was always focused on AJ! AJ this, AJ that. We were just the damn strays she took in and cared for!" Layla spat, hands trembling as she wrapped her arms around herself. "Every time she touched us, made us feel good, loved us, she was thinking of her. Natalya deserves this pain. She clouded all of our minds and she took you away from me. You're infatuated with her, Chelle. You'll never be the same again, so I'm afraid I'll have to kill you" Layla suddenly glared at her. Michelle clutched her rapier and shook her head.

"If you really loved me, you'd see it the way it truly was. Maybe Mistress does have a soft spot for AJ, but how soon you are to forget that AJ is Mistress' very first Sub. No one will ever take her place, but dammit Mistress loved each and every one of us as much as she could, and that's a hell of a lot more love than you or the Bella's ever deserved" she spat. Layla stared at her, mouth agape. Michelle gripped her rapier's hilt even tighter, gnashing her teeth together.

"You don't know of the horror Taker put me through"

_-He smirked, watching her trembling eyes as he brought the brand down to the fire. Tears ran down her face and she struggled against the chains as he lifted it up-_

"You don't know of the pain my body's been through"

_-She screamed against the dirty rag in her mouth as he pressed it down to her back. He chuckled and ripped the cloth free, relishing in her cries of agony as the metal brand burned her pale flesh. "Please!" She screamed, clawing at the wooden floor, the wood splintering and cutting her fingers, leaving them bleeding and cut up.-_

"You have no idea what he's put me through and you chose to side with him?!"

_-Taker grabbed a handful of her blonde locks and yanked her back, smirking down at her. He pressed his cold lips to her wet cheek and chuckled. "You belong to me. There's no escape now that my mark is on you" he grinned and dropped her on the floor, stepping on the back of her head as he left-_

Michelle roared in rage and lunged at Layla, cutting through her yo-yo's rope and aiming for her neck. Layla flinched but the sound of leather hitting steel made her look up.

Michelle's rapier's tip was right by her neck but a very familiar black whip was wrapped around it, pulling it back. Michelle's eyes grew and she turned quickly, seeing Aksana standing there, virtually unscathed other than a hole in her clothes.

"You are more formidable than the others. Very heart-touching story, but I cannot let you advance" she hummed, flicking her wrist. She snatched the rapier from Michelle's hand and with another flick, sent the weapon hurdling back at her face.

Michelle tried to catch it, but she was too slow, and the blade stabbed her in her right eye. Layla flinched and Michelle dropped to the floor, dropping her rapier and curling up, holding her bleeding eye. Aksana stepped closer, cracking her whip against Michelle's cheek and knocking her over. She flicked her wrist again and her whip wrapped around her neck, and she pulled tight, choking her. Michelle choked, trying to pull herself free, cutting her hands on the thorns. Aksana only pulled more, the thorns cutting into her neck.

A gust of flaming wind blew into the room and suddenly the whip was cut. Aksana stumbled back and Michelle dropped completely to the floor, gasping for air and shielding her injured eye. AJ stood in front of her, swinging both her sickles and glaring at Aksana. Layla roared in frustration, digging into her pockets for another poisonous yo-yo when she heard heels a familiar rumble behind her. Her eyes grew and she turned, spotting Natalya on a Phoenix's back. The Canadian Dom leered at her and she bolted away, leaving Aksana on her own.

"AJ, go handle Layla. I'll deal with this one" she ordered. AJ nodded and disappeared in a gust of wind. Natalya pulled her whip free from her belt and pointed over to Michelle. Gale flew over to her and covered her with his body, protecting and healing her slowly. Natalya turned her furious gaze on Aksana and growled.

"You put your hands on what's mine. I'm gonna have to kill you" she grunted, approaching the raven. Aksana scoffed and swung her arm out, her whip regenerating and cracking hard against the floor.

"You can try, Phoenix, but we are one and the same. Unmovable beings that just won't die. It's only a game of who has more strength, and with that, I have more resolve than you." Aksana spoke, eyes narrowed, a black sludge spreading across the floor by her feet. Natalya scoffed and sent her a look.

"We'll see about that" she spat.

On that note, the two women lunged at one another, swinging wildly, eyes ablaze. The lashes from Natalya's whip left Aksana with scorching burns while Aksana's lashes seemed to burn into Natalya's skin. At one point, the two swung full-force, the whips linking together at the ends. Both Dominant women pulled forcefully on their weapon but they wouldn't come undone. They snarled and sent their power rocketing through the roof. From behind Natalya, Gale began to stir, feeling the need to go and assist her.

(Meanwhile)

AJ cornered Layla, staring at her with a hateful look. "You drugged me. You made me betray Mistress. You deserve all of the pain I'm going to cause you" she hissed. Layla spat in her direction, glaring at her. "You don't deserve Mistress. There's nothing special about you." She hissed. AJ bristled and roared in fury, cutting both of Layla's arms and legs off after coating her sickles in a toxic poison. Layla screamed and AJ turned her back on her.

"Goodbye." She spat, heading back to Natalya.

When she got to the room, her eyes grew. Gale was screeching, going to fly to Natalya's side while a large black, dripping mass formed behind Aksana. The sludge hardened into a thick, hide-like skin and AJ looked up at the large, 8 headed snake. All 8 heads hissed and Gale screeched again.

"Come, Natalya Hart! Show me your power!" Aksana snapped. Natalya growled and pulled again on her whip, power flaring. Gale's plumes shone bright and he did towards the snake. The serpent hissed when Gale scorched off 2 of its heads but they grew back as soon as a separate head knocked Gale away. Natalya winced, feeling Gale's pain since he was her familiar. The serpent curled around Aksana's legs, the rest of its huge body towering behind her. She placed her cheek against it and stared at Natalya with a shine in her eyes.

"Do you like my familiar? This is Faust, and he shares my sorrow. You won't defeat us" she said, rubbing Faust's black scales with her free hand, still not releasing her whip. Natalya was going to speak when the floor rumbled. Everyone's eyes grew and she glanced around, seeing the ground shaking and the ceiling crumble. "What the hell is this?!" She hissed. AJ ran over to Michelle and picked her up with the help of her wind. She then ran over to Natalya's side. Aksana held onto Faust and frowned. "This is bad" she hissed.

The floor crumbled below them and they all fell into the abyss.

(Meanwhile)

Dean and Roman walked into a room and stopped short, seeing Summer seated in someone's lap, humming a song and stroking his face. She stopped when they walked in and turned her head, looking at them out of the corner of her eye.

"Oh, it's just you. I was hoping the kitten would stumble into my dollhouse, but you two will do for now. I'm going to show you true poetry in motion" she hummed, standing and going up a small set of stairs and sitting on a throne. The man she was seated on stayed sessile.

"Great. I've been itchin' for a right and the first one we run into is this crazy bitch" Dean complained, getting a firm grip on his brass knuckles. Roman pulled a concealed knife out and grunted, not uttering a word. Summer hummed, swinging her feet.

"Da da,  
Da da, da da  
Da da da da  
Daaaa da da daaa" she sang.

The man stood, eyes completely white. She flicked her wrist. "Make them dance, Fandango. Entertain me" she ordered. Roman cursed under his breath. "We can't kill him. He's kitten's friend" he muttered. Dean scoffed. "Don't kill him, kill the crazy chick, got it" he muttered sarcastically.

Fandango lunged at him, swinging at Dean. The mountain lion dodged one fairly easily, but he didn't anticipate Fandango head butting him and kicking him in the stomach. Dean smirked and Roman ran up on Fandango from behind. The smaller cat hissed, swinging far quicker than Roman expected and kicking him in the face. He stumbled back and Fandango ran for him, jumping up and kneeing him square in the jaw. Roman barked out a curse and glared at Fandango and the man only swayed, eyes unfocused.

Dean glanced over at Summer, seeing her humming, her head propped up with one hand as she had wires wrapped around her other fingers, twitching them ever so often. Attached to them was a puppet that looked identical to Fandango. "So she's controlling him with that?" He mused aloud. Summer's gaze flicked over to him and her fingers twitched once more.

Roman dove for Dean, spearing him to the ground as Fandango threw a set of throwing stars at him. Summer snickered. "He's the perfect doll. He and my little Eric. I'll get rid of you and then the kitty can join my collection" she purred. Roman grunted and pulled Dean up and the two scoffed. "Bring it, bitch" Dean spat. Summer flicked her wrist and Fandango came running at them once more, going to knee Dean in the neck. The pale man pushed his knee down and twisted his body, using the momentum to slam the side of his elbow onto Fandango's cheek, making him stumble back. Roman grabbed his arms and locked them behind his head while Dean threw punch after punch at him. When he appeared unconscious, Roman dropped him to the floor and they both turned their attention to Summer. She rolled her eyes and lifted her head, snapping her fingers with her free hand. Another marionette appeared in her other hand and she lifted her hands, smirking darkly.

"My puppets will dance until their bodies are destroyed. Pain and conscious is nothing" she cooed, beginning an intricate dance with her fingers. Fandango rose up and kicked the back of Dean's knee, punching him hard in the back of the skull. Roman growled and went to tug him off but a shadow flew in front of him and he felt electricity run through his body. He roared and fell to his hands and knees, trying to gather his bearings. He looked up and saw a different brunette, staring down at him with a sparking gauntlet on his hands. Summer laughed from her throne.

"Do you like my little kittens? Fandango and EC3 here are going to destroy you all" she smirked. Roman scoffed. "I don't think the boy said anything about an Eric. Can't we just kill him?" Dean growled, staring Fandango down. Roman wiped his mouth. "I don't think Hunter wants us killing prisoners" he muttered.

"Fuck Hunter"  
"Dean."  
"Yeah, yeah. Let's do this"

Dean lunged up, upper cutting Fandango and sweeping his feet. He braced himself and let out a roar, the air trembling around him as his ears and tail appeared. A hard crystal appeared around his knuckles and he ran for Summer.

Roman grabbed Eric's arms and knees him in the stomach before tossing him over to Fandango, watching him accidentally shock the other cat. Fandango let out a loud yowl of pain and Roman turned his attention back to Summer, his ears jerking slightly against his head, his tail swaying irately behind him as he ran to join Dean.

Summer arched a brow, holding the dolls up in front of her. Eric and Fandango stood in front of her, arms outstretched. Roman and Dean came to a halt and snarled. "Can we please just kill them?!" Dean hissed. Roman shot him a look and pulled a dagger from his belt. "You can't hide behind them the whole time" he growled. Summer purred.

"I can, and I will. There's nothing you can do about it. I have more dolls than you have stamina. Come, enjoy our final dance!" She laughed, flicking her wrist and sending Eric and Fandango into attack mode. Dean growled and punched Eric full-force in the jaw, smirking at the crack of his nose breaking. "Dean!" Roman roared from behind him, looking for Fandango's pressure points to hit. "I'm not going to kill him!" Dean snapped in response, hitting Eric in the neck. The cat collapsed and Roman pinched the side of Fandango's neck, dropping him too. They turned their attention back to Summer and she yawned, hands glowing.

Dolls formed around them, with weapons and elemental powers crackling around them. Summer smirked, tilting her head to one side. "It was nice knowing you." She grinned, flicking her wrists.

They all attacked.

(Elsewhere)

Seth suddenly froze, clutching his collar. Justin paused at his side. "What?" Seth looked to their left. They got to a hall that speedster into two different halls. "My Doms...I can feel them. In trouble. This way" he hissed, grabbing his pistols tight. Justin grabbed his shoulder.

"It could be a trap."  
"Or it could be them."

Justin chuckled and looked in the opposite direction. "We'll split up. Don't get yourself killed" he teased. Seth smirked and nodded. "Same goes for you" he shot back before they both ran in different directions. Seth's ears twitched and he smell blood and the familiar scent of his Dominants. He hissed and gripped his pistols tighter, running as fast as he could with the weight of his scythe on his back. He skidded to a halt outside a room and gasped.

Dean and Roman were covered in their own blood, trying to fend off an array of attacks from faceless, gender less dolls. Seth saw Summer laughing evilly, twisting and moving her hands, controlling them all. Seth smelled another familiar scent also. He looked over, seeing Fandango rising back up, eyes blank. Seth didn't know Eric but he'd remembered the times where Fandango...er, Johnny, would talk about his close friend. He said his name was Derrick or something. Seth put his pistols back and grabbed his scythe, twisting so it was fully extended.

"Hey!" He snapped, catching Summer's attention. Dean and Roman looked over and their eyes grew. "Kitten!" They called. Seth sent them a small smile before he ran full-speed at Summer. She giggled. "Here, kitty kitty!" She laughed, putting her primary control back to Fandango and Eric. Roman and Dean growled. "He doesn't know what's going on. We got to protect him." Roman grumbled, smashing through another doll. Dean flipped over one and kneed through another's head. "I'm all for suggestions" he spat sarcastically.

A light began blinking before them and the dolls around them froze. Dean and Roman covered their eyes so they weren't blinded and when the light dimmed, looked up, freezing.

"B-Brad?" Dean whispered. Brad smiled at them. "I'm a bit late, huh? I guess your timing is all thrown out of whack if you're dead. I came to give you a gift before I pass on" he told them. The dolls around them crumbled and Brad closed his eyes, holding his hands out. Two lights shone there, one red, the other blue. "Go on," he urged. Dean reached for the red light while Roman reached for the blue.

Dean felt metal wrap around his hands and forearms. Fire pulsed through his blood and he smirked, observing the new gauntlets covering his hands and the three red crystals on the part of the gauntlets that extended down to his forearm. He clutched his fist and the crystals extended into flaming spikes. He laughed, sending Summer a look. "You're fucked" he grinned.

Roman hoisted two weapons from the blue light, one he knew as a traditional Samoan war club except it was steel, with jagged steel barbs covering it. The other was a gun nearly half the size of the club. Roman looked over to Brad and the ghost cat smiled sorrowfully. "It's the least I can do. I can't stay much longer...I'll be rooting for you. Make sure you stab Taker a few extra times for me" he requested gently, touching Dean's belt and Roman's shoulder before disappearing. Several large bullets appeared on Dean's belt and Roman felt the light weight of bullets weigh on his shoulders as Brad left.

"Hey, not to rush you or anything, but HELP!" Seth hissed, spinning his scythe and trying to fight back Eric and Fandango at the same time. Eric got into his blind spot and punched Seth hard in the jaw, shocking the cat and dropping him to his knees. Dean and Roman bristled angrily and Summer pouted. "No, no, watch out for my kitty" she chastised even though Eric didn't respond. Dean cracked his knuckles, fire coating his fists. "I won't kill him. Can't promise I won't cripple him though" he spat, springing up and over a group of dolls and lunging for Eric. Roman rolled his eyes and gripped his club with both hands after putting the gun on his back. "Sure, leave me with the damn army of dolls, little shit." He muttered to himself, going to destroy them.

Seth wiped his cheek and stood, staring at Fandango as he approached. "Johnny, I need you to snap the fuck out of it" he tried to reason with him but the other cat didn't respond.

Seth sighed and grabbed his scythe tighter, knuckles white under his gloves. He felt a feeling surge through him and looked over to the blade of his sword, seeing it blinking yellow before the whole blade gleamed gold, electricity crackling around it. Seth stared at it before looking over to Fandango, eyes growing when he could now see the invisible threads over Fandango, Eric, and the dolls, all of them leading to Summer's fingers. "Brad, you're amazing" Seth whispered under his breath, lunging for Fandango so he could sever the threads. It wouldn't be easy. Summer's fingers danced around quickly and each of the dolls moved accordingly, swiftly and precise.

Fandango dodged Seth's scythe by stepping back and ducked under to knock Seth's scythe free. It clattered to the floor and spun away and Seth growled, tail swaying irately. He put his fists up, electricity crackling around him. "Of course it's gonna be hard" he spat, throwing a punch to Fandango's torso. He took the hit and stumbled slightly but jumped up and kneed Seth in the jaw before tackling him to the ground.

Behind them, Dean was knocking Eric around carelessly. He sidestepped Eric's punch and hooked him, slashing his cheek with the spikes on his forearms. Eric's gauntlets sparked and Dean smirked, his own burning bright. "C'mon then!" He taunted, loud enough for Summer to hear. She hissed in anger and Eric swung for Dean, all of his elemental power crackling into that one punch. Dean quickly took his stance and swung as well, his hand engulfed in flames. As soon as their fists connected, there was an explosion.

Roman glanced back from destroying the dolls when he heard the explosion. Dean was smirking triumphantly, staring at Eric. The small cat was face down, no longer moving. "Dean!" Roman spat. "He's not dead!" Dean shot back. Summer screamed in fury and summoned more of her marionette dolls. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you both!" She screamed. Dean cracked his neck and smirked. "Bring it, bitch" he cooed, ready for the next wave of dolls.

Seth rolled away from Fandango and sprang up, grabbing his scythe and swinging upwards. The threads connecting to Fandango severed and the man suddenly dropped. From her throne, Summer jolted. "What...? What have you done?!" She gasped. Seth spun his scythe and slammed the blade into the ground. "Setting my friend free" he spat before breaking into a run towards her. He slashed through dolls along the way and swung for her head, hissing when he was pushed back by a force field. She shook her head. "You can't touch me!" She hissed, fingers craning upwards. Seth looked back, seeing a marionette with an axe swinging for him. He flinched, waiting for pain that never came. Seth cracked his eyes open and looked over to see Roman in front of him, having caught the marionette's blade between the barbs of his club. He swiped the axe away, the blade flying up in the air while Dean came out of nowhere, punching a hole through the doll's chest and ripping its head off. Roman caught the axe with his free hand and smirked back at Seth.

"Leave this to us. Go get her" he ordered. Seth smiled and nodded, reverting his scythe back to its assault rifle form. He braced himself and fired off a whole new barrage of shots towards Summer. The power of the shots made him slide back and he looked back when he slid onto something solid. Dean and Roman were standing side-to-side, fighting off any dolls that came close and also keeping Seth from falling back. He smiled and gripped his rifle tighter, roaring and focusing on his newfound electrical powers as well as feeding off of the Hellish power within him. His rifle gleamed just like his scythe did and suddenly fired off one large, near blinding yellow bullet.

Summer screamed as her barrier shattered and the bullet hit her head on, knocking her through her throne and into a wall. She fell to the floor, clothes torn and bleeding heavily. "You...you've done a bad thing, kitty" she spat, standing up and glaring fiercely at them. She brought her hands up, looking down at the golden sparks running over them. She tried to bring her fingers up but the dolls didn't respond. They all fell to the floor one by one. Summer coughed up blood and slid to the floor.

"Bad kitty...wait till I tell Daddy!" She spat out blood and disappeared in a black fog before anyone else could move to attack her again. Dean scoffed, straightening up. "Coward" he spat. Seth tossed his rifle down and ran over to Fandango, picking his and Eric's heads up and placing them in his lap. "Johnny?! Johnny! Wake up!" He whined, slapping Johnny's cheek. The tan cat whimpered and cracked his eyes open. "Seth?" He coughed, eyes wide. Seth nodded, tears welling up in his eyes. Johnny nearly crushed him with a hug. Dean bristled, ready to pull them apart, but Roman grabbed his arm, shaking his head. "If you think about it, he's all Seth has left from before he came to us. Leave him be" he told him. Dean looked back at the two and crossed his arms, not responding.

"Oh my god I'm so glad I managed to get a link to you before the Devil's Blood completely took over my mind...I'm sorry I asked for you to come back...thank you, thank you so much!" Johnny nearly cried. Seth laughed and then looked down to the unfamiliar cat on his other leg. "Summer called him Eric or something...who is this?" He questioned. Johnny looked over to "Eric" and picked him up, holding his unconscious form tight. "Derrick Bateman...my best friend. She took him not too long before she took me. He...wasn't as lucky as me" he muttered. Dean scrunched his nose up. "Lucky? Seriously?" He inquired sarcastically. Johnny turned his sorrow filled eyes up to him before turning Derrick around and lifting his shirt, revealing the large scar on his back. Dean and Roman's eyes grew and Seth froze.

It was a stake-like marking with two more in the background, forming an X.

Johnny pulled his friend's shirt back down and looked away. "When Taker gets a favorite, they get this brand in some way. He'll either use an actual brand or form a link using his powers. With this brand, he can inflict a hellish pain. It's...it's terrible. I don't have the brand, but Summer's Marionette Manipulation hurts like hell, and that's not including the damage I took from you three" he sighed. Dean didn't look the least bit sorry and Roman bent down, healing them both to the best of his ability.

Seth couldn't help but to think back to when they first arrived, when all Taker did was clench his fist and Seth fell to his knees from the pain that coursed through his body. He growled and walked over to grab his rifle, eyes dark. "I want his head." He spat. Johnny picked Derrick up and Roman and Dean nodded.

"Let's go get it then"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Creature of the Chapter: Yamata no Orochi***
> 
> The famed 8-headed demon snake of Japanese mythology, Yamata no Orochi, or more likely called 'Orochi' was said to be a terror to a certian couple, coming around every year to eat one of their daughters. Yamata no Orochi has 8 heads and 8 whip-like tails and it is said there is a sacred sword buried in one of them. It has an amazing regeneration ability and if one of its heads gets cut off, it will grow back. It's said it can't be defeated unless all the heads are severed at the same time.  
> Character of the Creature: Aksana***


	15. Chapter 15

Drew huffed as he dragged Jeff a down the hallway. Heath and Shannon were close behind as Jeff babbled deliriously in his ear. Drew set the rainbow-haired man down and frowned, lightly slapping his cheeks to see if he could knock a little bit of sense back into him.

"This is bad. None of us are healers and Jeff's high off of the Devil's Blood." Drew muttered. Shannon clenched his fists while Heath paced, ears flattened against his head. All of their heads snapped up when they heard a rumble and a familiar roar of fury. Shannon picked Jeff up this time and they all ran down the hall as fast as their injured legs could take them. The floor beneath them began to rumble and by time they skidded into the doorway of the room, the floor collapsed within. Drew's eyes grew as he watched Natalya, AJ, Michelle, Aksana, and two familiars fall into the gaping abyss before the 'hole' closed up.

"Shit! That was Nattie wasn't it?! She could've healed us!" Drew snarled, kicking a nearby table over, eyes narrowing as a glass vase fell over and shattered, flowers and water tumbling onto the floor. Heath stared at the floor with trembling hands. "If Natalya was here, don't you think the others are too…? That means my Master…and Justin, too…" Heath trailed off and both Drew and Shannon looked up slowly, anger and sadness in their eyes.

"Matt could be here?"

"O'Shea…"

Heath unconsciously brought his hand up to his neck, where his collar should have been, had Taker not have ripped it off the day he was taken. He let out a whine and Drew shook his head, grabbing a piece of glass from the shattered vase.

"If there is even the slightest chance that they're here, we need to fight. We have to find them or someone that will help us. Personally, I think it would be great if we found any of them before we find Punk. I don't want him to see Jeff this way." Drew told them, his voice steadily getting stronger, bolder, rallying their spirit. Shannon hefted Jeff back up and Heath rolled his shoulders slightly.

"Let's rock and roll then."

Evan walked with JoJo, keeping her hand in his. The young rabbit wasn't uttering a single word; instead her head was down, a dried trail of tears on her soft cheeks. Evan clutched his Bo Staff in his other hand, a white-knuckle grip to steady him and keep his nerves in check.

He was terrified.

They had only been in this hell hole for a total amount of about 45 minutes and they were all separated and Eva Marie was dead. Evan wasn't very confident in the two of them, to be honest. He constantly thought of how weak he was compared to the others and even if JoJo had Hellish powers from Eva, Zeb, and Tamina, she was still new to using them and Evan wasn't even sure she was in the mental or emotional state to use them anyway.

He suddenly felt JoJo squeeze his hand.

Evan stopped walking and looked back, seeing the teen raise her head, a fire ablaze in her irises. Evan didn't move and JoJo simply squeezed his hand once more.

"I can practically hear your worry. We will be okay. We have to be. I'm already ashamed for letting Eva die and I have to face Mistress after this, to let her know I'm sorry. I need to live. So do you. You can't worry your Masters, either. They trust us to be able to fight back. They trained us. If you're discouraged that you have the strength to survive, think of John and Randy. Fight, and live for them both. We owe it to them to survive and kill Taker and all of his goons so they don't ever have to go through the pain and suffering they have caused ever again. We need to avenge all who have died so far and not add ourselves to that body count." She told him, voice even.

Evan stared at her with wide eyes, not expecting such heart and raw emotion coming from a nineteen year-old in the middle of this war who just watched her best friend and lover get slaughtered. Evan let out a small chuckle and nodded. "I'm supposed to be the one who's keeping you together. Looks like you've got all your marbles intact. You're absolutely right. Let's-"

"Look who I've found, Jack. Your old kitten" A voice came from in front of them. Evan's head snapped up and he looked over to see a bald man standing in front of them. JoJo's eyes narrowed and a small scraping came from behind them. Evan looked back quickly and saw a very familiar blonde figure approaching, axe in-hand, but not holding it up, instead scraping it methodically against the wall. Evan felt pain pang in his chest and he whimpered, stepping away and unconsciously letting JoJo's hand go. She looked at him with confusion in her eyes, but Evan only stared at the blonde, body trembling. The man's blue eyes narrowed.

"What a surprise." The man grunted. Evan's heart ached at the sound of that familiar lisp. JoJo backed up so she bumped into Evan's side. "Who is this guy, Ev?" She questioned. Evan bit his lip and Jack smirked, leaning on the bottom of his axe while the blade rested against the floor.

"Go on, kitten. Tell her who I am." He urged.

"He's…He's my old Master." Evan muttered, lowering his head.

Antonio scoffed from where he stood and JoJo's eyes grew. "I thought John and Randy were your only Doms" She gasped. Evan looked away, chewing on his lip. Little dots of blood began to rise to the surface from the wound his small fangs were inflicting, the conflicting emotions shining in his eyes.

"No, they're not"

/-\\\ __

_"Evan, come here." Jack muttered. Evan jogged over; adjusting the maid costume Jack forced him to wear. It was for the sake of the café, Evan kept telling himself as he ran to his manager-best friend-Dom._

_Such a mouthful, wasn't it?_

_"What's up?" Evan questioned, pulling that accursed dress down again. Jack chuckled and pointed over to a table with three men sitting there. One was a bald man who seemed the least bit interested in the hybrids scrambling around in maid uniforms as he stared down at his phone. The other two unsettled Evan._

_One was a man who looked to be much too old to be in this kind of place, with one of the most ridiculous moustaches Evan had ever seen and this perverted twinkle in his eyes as he eyed a few girls as they darted by. Evan really shouldn't have been as uncomfortable with that look as he was. After all, he'd been working in Jack's maid café for as long as he'd been the Dom's Sub and those kinds of looks were thrown about all the time._

_There was something about this man, though._

_Evan's eyes shifted over to the last man, a pale man with a trench coat and a hat that was tipped downwards so it covered his eyes. Evan shifted closer to Jack, shuffling. The three stood out like a sore thumb in the room, so vibrant in color and energy until you looked in their direction. "Who are those three? They're freaking me out" Evan muttered. Jack waved his hand in dismissal._

_"Paying customers. They have something I want, so I'll be leaving early. Take care of the café" Jack ordered with a slap of Evan's ass. The cat yelped and blushed as Jack sauntered over to the table, leaving with the men._

_Evan sighed and went to serve two familiar customers, the one with the tattoos and the one with the baseball caps and obnoxious jorts. Oh, what Evan would do to dress that man…_

_"You look distracted, kitten. What's the matter?" Randy questioned, ice eyes scanning the small cat's posture and noticing how upset he was. Evan blushed. "Oh n-nothing, Randy, sir. Here's your tea." Evan set the cup down and Randy nodded at him as a thank you and John shook his head. "Ev, if something's wrong, let us know. Something about that group looks shady to me" John muttered, taking a bite out of the small cake Evan set in front of him. Evan let out a small sigh and shook his head._

_"It'll be fine" he promised before bowing and scurrying away to the next table._

_That same group came every day after that for three weeks, making workers and customers uncomfortable alike. Jack would leave early and not come home until unholy hours of the morning. Until that one day._

_The day it all went to shit._

_Evan was serving Randy and John once again when he noticed a shadow cast over the outside of the building. His ears twitched and a few of his coworkers ran to the window to see what was going on. He didn't have the time to ask what they saw before the sound of glass breaking and screaming filled his ears. Evan looked up in confusion and panic and saw Jack standing in the doorway with the short man and the man with the trench coat while the bald man ran inside, a halberd in his hands and a sabre strapped to his thigh. Evan's eyes grew as the man sliced one of his close coworkers in half, the blood spraying onto customers as they tried to run away, furthering the panic. Evan backed up, screaming._

_"Master! Master what is all this?!" He questioned frantically, trying to yell over the screaming crowd in the café. Jack looked towards him and his smile fell. The man in the trench coat spoke and somehow Evan heard him loud and clear._

_"Kill him."_

_Evan's lips parted and he looked to Jack. The blonde clutched the axe in his hands and his eyes narrowed. Then he charged. Evan screamed and ran away, narrowly dodging the first swipe. Jack kicked him in the back and he hit the counter hard, coughing violently while hunched over. Jack raised his hand, going to behead Evan when John tackled him. The axe shifted and the tip of Evan's ear was cut. He yowled in pain and scrambled away while John and Jack fought._

_Jack shoved John aside and charged for Evan once more and the cat dove to the floor as Jack swung and hit the oven, small plumes of fire shooting out and catching fire on nearby clothes. Evan crawled back on his hands, trembling and crying as he stared up at Jack._

_"M-Master, don't do this-"_

_"I kill you, I get power. You need to die"_

_Evan's eyes grew and Jack raised his axe._

_"Goodbye."_

_Evan flinched, waiting for the embrace of death, but all he heard was a serpentine hiss, a faint sound of spraying liquid, and Jack screaming in pain. Evan opened his eyes and saw Randy hovering over him, a small stream of violet liquid dribbling from the corner of his lips. His ice eyes had slits in them and he moved smoothly as he stood, hovering over Jack with rage in those eyes. He wiped away the liquid and Evan noticed Jack was rubbing his eyes frantically. John ran over to them._

_"You spit venom at him, right?" He questioned. Randy scoffed._

_"Of course I did. Did you think I was gonna let him kill Evan?"_

_"Good point. Let's get him and get the hell out of here. We're outnumbered."_

_Randy picked Evan up, mindful of the bloodstains on the maid costume. Evan trembled in his arms, reaching for the collar around his neck and snatching it off, tossing it in the direction of the flames._

_Randy and John fled._

/~\\\

Evan touched his damaged ear and clutched his staff even tighter. "I've been meaning to repay you for this, you backstabbing son of a bitch" Evan spat. Jack and Antonio's brows shot up and JoJo walked backwards until her back was to his. She stared at Antonio with a challenging glare.

"How cute. The Subs want a fight. Let's give them one, Jack. If I remember correctly, the rabbit girl was the one Zeb was after when that fucking tigress killed him. Oi, where is she now? I want her head on a stick." Antonio grunted. JoJo's eyes flashed and she pulled a fan from her garter belt and threw it at his head. He knocked it away with his halberd and it came flying back to her. She caught it and snarled at him.

"You shut your mouth!" She barked. Antonio chuckled, rolling his neck on his shoulder. "No fun. She's dead, isn't she? Is that her blood on your clothes?" He inquired. JoJo let out a roar of frustration and lunged at him, the blades in her fans out now. "JoJo, don't get too worked up!" Evan cried. He heard a shift behind him and turned, bringing his staff up and catching Jack's axe blade. His knees wobbled slightly and Jack growled at him.

"You've got a bigger problem, Ev" He taunted. Evan felt that hopelessness from before come back before JoJo's words echoed in his head.

They trust us to be able to fight back.

They trained us.

We owe it to them to live.

Think of John and Randy.

Evan gripped his staff tighter and used all of his weight to push Jack backwards, spinning the steel weapon and growling, taking a stance. "I'm not helpless. I won't die here, especially not by you" he snarled. Jack smirked and swung at him again. Evan rolled out of the way and swung his staff, hitting Jack in the back of the leg. The blonde buckled and Evan smirked, hitting the ground directly below Jack with his staff. When he looked down, Evan swung upwards, hitting him square in the nose. Jack stumbled back, nose bleeding and broken now.

Evan spun his staff to gain a bit of momentum and swung for the back of Jack's head. His staff was caught and Jack growled, snatching it free. His eyes grew and Jack tackled him to the floor.

Across the room, JoJo was trading blows with Antonio, her fans back in her garter belt as she fought using Eva's old Wolverine-esque claws. She could feel Tamina's Hellish powers pulse stronger from within her, the angrier she got but she couldn't help it. The wounds of Eva's death was much too fresh and this man was one of the three who dragged Eva and herself into this Taker situation.

One was dead, now she needed to see these two die as well.

Her ears picked up Evan's staff clattering to the floor and she glanced back, seeing him trying to pry Jack's hands away from his neck. JoJo backflipped away from Antonio and tossed a fan in Jack's direction, cutting his back. He snarled in pain and Evan was able to shrimp out of his hold to get free. JoJo turned back to Antonio but he hit her in the stomach with the butt of his halberd, making the petite teen fall to her knees. He smirked.

"Eyes on the prize, princess." He taunted, swinging for her neck.

His halberd caught onto Evan's staff and the cat looked up, eyes dark. "No one fuck's with my family." He snapped, pushing Antonio's halberd back like he did Jack's axe. JoJo and Evan shared the faintest of looks before they both shot up, with JoJo kicking Antonio in the stomach and Evan jabbing him in the same spot. Antonio staggered and JoJo swung her leg up, kicking him square in the throat.

"I've had enough of this!" Jack spat, picking up his axe, blood running down his face. Antonio slid his halberd into a holster on his back and unsheathed his sabre, snarling. "I'll agree" He muttered, rubbing his stomach. JoJo noticed Antonio's sabre begin to frost over while Jack's axe blade turned black. Small swirls of dark violet mist slipped from the cracks in the bade.

"Ice and poison elementals." Evan hissed. JoJo glanced back and forth between the two angered men. "How do you know it's poison?" She questioned, Evan scoffed, holding his staff with both hands. "When your Dom is a viper, you tend to pick up certain warning signs as to what's what" Evan commented. JoJo didn't respond, only flicking open one of her fans.

"Let's do this" She whispered.

All four of them lunged at one another.

Evan was careful to dodge Jack's wild swings and the wafting miasma coming from his weapon as he struggled to get a hit in. Jack's eyes were glazed over and it was almost like a bestial side had taken over. Evan hissed as he took a slash to the side, just as he hit Jack in the wrist. The man roared and Evan fell to one knee, holding a hand over his bleeding side. He had an antidote for poison in his pocket, but as he was reaching for it, Jack kicked him in the chest and the bottle went flying.

JoJo stumbled back as Antonio slashed towards her face. He smirked, chuckling as he began stabbing at her, toying with her to psyche her out. She tripped and he managed to cut the side of her neck. She let out a cry as ice began to spread over the wound and down her neck, constricting. Antonio chuckled and placed his foot on her neck, grinding down. She choked and he chuckled.

Evan felt his vision fading as Jack stomped on his body. The poisons were spreading fast throughout his body and his vision was fading. He could see JoJo from across the room, and began to panic.

'We can't die. Not here, not now…JoJo, fight!' Evan thought, hoping for a miracle. JoJo cracked open her eyes and looked over at him, and both of them traded a determined look of defiance and resolve.

Slowly, a smile came to her face.

Antonio didn't have enough time to react when a barrier suddenly surrounded JoJo and the rabbit leapt up, kneeing him in the jaw. She kicked the bottle over to Evan and the cat popped the cap, downing the drink. He was surprised when his skin began to heal slowly as well as all of the effects of the poison going away. He punched Jack in the knee and grabbed his staff, hitting him directly in the temple. Jack fell to his knees and Evan snarled, kicking him.

"You abandoned me, and for what? Power? I loved you!" He snarled. Jack looked up, smirking. "And what is love going to do, huh? How is love going to save you? Remember that little trick your bitch ass boyfriend pulled last time I saw you? Spitting venom in my eyes? Well guess who's having delusions from my miasma, bitch" Jack sneered.

Evan blinked, and his mind cleared.

He was still on the floor, with his neck bared and Jack over him, ready to behead him. The only thing correct about his delusions was that JoJo had managed to get up and was fighting off Antonio while trying to get to the bottle. Evan looked up and Jack smirked darkly. "Tell me where 'love' is going to get you besides your head chopped off" he taunted. Evan lowered his head.

"Funny. I did say I loved you. Past tense. You can go fuck yourself" Evan spat.

Jack growled and was about to bring his axe down but found it wouldn't move. His eyes grew and he looked back, seeing Randy behind him, eyes narrowed. "Surprise, motherfucker." He spat, sinking his fangs into Jack's shoulder. The blonde's eyes grew and he looked back to Evan, but he was met with John's piercing gaze. He uppercutted him sharply and Jack fell, succumbing to Randy's poisons. Randy scoffed.

"Your poisons were pathetic" he snapped.

Evan looked up at them, eyes watery. They both picked him up, with Randy tipping the antidote down Evan's throat while John rubbed his side. Antonio growled and backed away from JoJo. "This isn't over." He growled as he disappeared.

The four stood in a silence for a moment before JoJo sighed, smiling warily over to Evan. He didn't even see it since he was wrapped up in his reunion with Randy and John. JoJo looked away, snapping her fan closed.

Her heart ached.


	16. Chapter 16

Hunter grunted as he walked with Punk and Shawn. The two stayed quiet, letting the sledgehammer-wielding man lead them. Annoyance shone in his eyes. They had split up with Sheamus, Matt, and Wade as soon as they hit the ground after Taker split the whole group up. Hunter glanced around once more, irate and alert.

Punk was no better, flicking his fire on and off like a walking lighter. Shawn noticed the irritation shining in both of their eyes and decided that now was a better time than any to bring up a concern he'd been thinking of to himself since Jeff was first taken all those months ago. "Phil, I have a concern" He started. Phil grunted and looked up, arching a brow. Shawn tried to word it delicately.

"What if Jeff isn't the same if we find him?" He questioned. Punk stopped walking and looked at him with furrowed brows. "What are you trying to say, Shawn?" He questioned slowly, a certain edge to his voice. Shawn sighed and looked away

"Taker…and all of his followers are twisted, sick people. They'll do anything to a prisoner to break them down completely until they are a shell of who they once were. You know this. All I'm saying is consider all of the possibilities. I'm concerned for Jeff and the others. I don't know what's been done to them but I'm worried of the end result if any of them gets rejected by their Dom because of something that was done to them here. It's not their fault and they shouldn't be penalized for it" Shawn tried to tip-toe around what he was saying but he just dropped the gentle approach completely and kept it real.

"There's a very real possibility Jeff could've been drugged while imprisoned here. I don't want you abandoning him because of it." He stated, crossing his arms. Phil's jaw dropped and he shifted sharply to glare at Shawn. Neither man said a word and Hunter stopped suddenly, looking around with his brows furrowed.

"What is that?" He questioned. The cat and fire elemental came to his sides and leaned over the railing of the balcony they were on. Down below was a glass tube with what looked like a chained up woman inside. The men stared at it with wide eyes. "Do you think that's where he keeps all the prisoners? I can't see from here!" Shawn hissed, trying to see past that huge tube to see if there were maybe cells in that room

"No. I keep all my toys in a monitored room, but it appears as if one of my men went soft and let them out so they're wandering around. Too bad I won't let you leave here alive" Came an eerily familiar cold voice from above.

All three heads snapped up to see Taker defying gravity above them, standing upside-down on the ceiling, arms crossed. Fury pulsed through Shawn and Hunter first and in a flash, an electrified hammer and an irate feline came flying his way. He chuckled and summoned a dark portal, stepping into it and teleporting to the ground as the two hit a wall and fell to the floor hard. Shawn needed to gather his bearings and Hunter summoned his sledgehammer back, lunging with Punk to attack Taker head-on.

The Phenom didn't lift a finger as he summoned a barrier, smirking giddily at the look of pure rage that crossed their faces. Shawn sat up, clutching the bottle of amber liquid he'd become attached to tight before putting it in his chest pocket and lunging again for Taker. The man's barrier held strong and he yawned. "Is that the best you've got to offer? Come now, Hunter, even Stephanie put up more of a fight than this." Taker sneered.

That struck a chord with Hunter and the blonde froze, grip loosened on his sledgehammer.

Taker saw this and smirked savagely, throwing his hand out and sending daggers of ice through his barrier to attack Hunter. Punk jumped in front of him and ignited his whole body to melt the ice before dying back the fire until it was a neat ball in-hand. One he threw full-force at Taker, momentarily forgetting about the barrier surrounding him.

He was reminded once more as the fireball hit the barrier and dispelled into small plumes of fire that fell to the floor and died out pathetically. "Hunter, keep it the fuck together!" Punk snapped, summoning two more fireballs. Taker chuckled.

"I wouldn't be so quick to snap if I were you. That's how the boy was when he first got here, full of that same fire" He hummed. Punk froze and stared at him, the fire in his palms dimming for a moment. It came back with much more power than before, the flames rising much higher than his own height.

 **"What have you done to Jeff?!"** he snarled, throwing both balls at him. They ricocheted off and Shawn had to drag Hunter out of the way before he got burned. Taker stepped out of the barrier and rolled his neck on his shoulders. "I would tell you, but where's the fun in that?" He questioned, a smirk playing on that pale face. Punk growled but it was Hunter who lunged, hammer sparking once more and with Shawn at his side, in his bestial form of a puma.

Taker sidestepped Hunter's first swing, hitting the sledgehammer with his gloved palm to knock it away before he brought his padded knee up to slam it into Shawn's furry stomach, making the wild cat hiss out in pain and crumble to the floor, while Taker pivoted around and caught Hunter in the jaw with a powerful back-fist. The man roared out in pain and was knocked back and Taker shook his head, going to pick up the sledgehammer and finding, much to his surprise, that he couldn't lift it. He grunted in annoyance and looked up when he felt a shift in movement: Punk charging at him.

Taker left the hammer alone for now and simply lifted one hand, capturing Punk by the neck. He lifted the fire elemental effortlessly, even after he set his body ablaze in an attempt to harm the man. It didn't even scathe him as Taker lifted him higher and chokeslammed him to the hard marble below. He was smirking, ready to drive his fist through Punk's throat when he felt the room shake and heard females screaming. He looked up and watched with wide eyes as the familiar forms of Aksana and Faust came falling from the ceiling, followed by Natalya, AJ, Michelle, and a Phoenix. All of them fell to the chamber room below and Taker's eyes grew as he ran to the railing, checking to make sure none of them had collided with Renee's glass prison.

If she got out, a disaster would unfold and Taker was not about to let his most prized toy get away.

"What the fuck is Summer doing?! The illusions are distorting!" He snarled under his breath. His ears picked up a low, near audible growl and he swirled around, kicking Shawn back into Hunter and Punk when the big cat lunged at him. He looked down upon the cat, smirking at the hidden secret behind that fur. He squeezed his fist closed and watched the cat's back pulse with a dark aura before he crumpled to the ground in pain.

"My mark is on you, Shawn. Did you honestly think you could defy me? I'll need to break you all back in when this is over, but until then, Show, knock em out" He ordered.

A dark corridor opened beside him and a behemoth of a man came lumbering out, eyes half-lidded and fists tightly clenched. Taker tossed back his trench coat and made his dramatic exit out of the door, first to see why his daughter's illusions had begun to fail and then to make sure none of the women in his chamber room had affected Renee's prison.

Shawn looked up weakly, eyes dark and a rumble of a snarl leaving his throat.

||~Chamber Room~||

Natalya and Faust had managed to maneuver around mid-air and the giant firebird spread his wings, capturing AJ, Michelle, and his human counterpart before he fell gracefully to the ground.

Aksana and Faust, however, just slammed into the ground full-force. The sound of multiple bones breaking at once made only AJ flinch. After a few moments, the bones repaired and Faust rose first into a tightly coiled attack position. Aksana used his body to stand, spitting blood to her left. She frowned when she heard it splatter against something that wasn't the skeletons below their feet.

Suddenly, she realized _where_ exactly she was.

Her eyes grew and she looked to her left, finding her blood splatter over the glass tube containing Renee. "Renee!" She cried, running over to it and wiping it off with great haste, muttering apologies to the unconscious girl. AJ's brows furrowed but she summoned her sickles anyway, prepared to fight. Natalya held her hand up.

"Stand down. This is a battle between her and I"

"What?! Mistress no! I can help! I-I-"

" **Stand _down_**!" Natalya roared and AJ flinched, her tail drooping down. The weasel woman nodded meekly and took her spot beside Michelle, who was quietly nursing her injured eye. AJ kept her head down and Natalya looked back to Aksana to find the woman staring in longing at the woman within the tube.

"I take it she's someone special to you" She mused, loud enough to catch Aksana's attention. The woman didn't look her way and only lowered her eyes. Natalya saw this and continued. "I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you're not Taker's follower by choice and the only one keeping you here is that woman in there" She continued. Aksana let out a breath and looked over to her, her ice eyes showing no emotion.

"That may in fact be the case. No one hates that man like I do. Nevertheless, I need to follow orders if I ever hope of taking Renee back where she belongs, with me." She spoke adamantly, no quiver in her voice. Natalya and her locked eyes and the two women summoned their respective whips.

"You know he'll only betray you. If he can help it, you'll never leave here, let alone with someone locked up so tight like that" Natalya told her as the two began circling one another with their familiars close behind. Aksana's grip tightened and she bared her teeth at Natalya, a hiss forcing its way past her teeth.

"Do you think I don't know that? I know full well of his conniving ways. Unlike these other fools who follow him so blindly in search of power or out of fear, I know of his true intentions. I do not fear the Undertaker, and he knows I wish for one of two things, my death, or freedom with Renee, and this fucker will not grant my either. So I wait, and I plan. I will see to it that my beloved is freed of this Hell" She snarled. Natalya's grip tightened on the handle of her whip and the two exchanged one final look before they lunged at one another.

AJ and Michelle watched on quietly as Aksana's thorn-covered whip wound itself around Natalya's neck before the woman pulled harshly, the large thorns slicing into Natalya's neck when she struggled free. The blonde grabbed the weapon, setting one end ablaze and tossing the now-dead part to the floor. She coated her own whip in pink flames and swung wildly at Aksana, scorching her skin upon contact and making the raven woman hiss in pain as she tried to put out any and all flames before they could light her whole body on fire.

A few feet away, Gale screeched angrily, swooping down to peck at one of Faust's many serpent heads when he was bitten by another. That head caught on fire but it never let go. Aksana hissed in pain, stumbling when the shared pain of one of Faust's heads being burned hit her full-force. Natalya hit her in the face with the butt of her handle and tackled the woman to the ground, not noticing the trouble Gale was actually in.

As he tried to break free, Gale was bitten by two more heads that injected poison into his magma blood before they caught fire as well. One of the healthy heads hung back while the remaining four healthy heads used their strength to twist at Gale's neck, snapping it in half before they, too, were engulfed in the pink flames.

AJ flinched when she heard the snap and she looked over to Natalya, watching the woman's eyes go wide before she fell face-first to the ground, still. Aksana was writhing on the floor, and she brought one of her hands to her midsection, freezing it and waiting for the 7 injured heads on Faust to heal. Michelle sat up a bit straighter, still keeping a protective palm over her eye.

"She can't win" She muttered slowly. AJ turned to look at her with wide eyes just as Natalya and Gale's bodies burst into pink flames, both of them now fully healed and reborn. Aksana's eyes narrowed and the ice around her midsection shattered. She cracked her whip and it regenerated just as Faust's 7 injured heads shed their skin and hissed loudly. They, too, were fully healed once more. Michelle shook her head.

"Aksana can never win against Mistress. Our Mistress is immortal. She will be reborn again and again and again. Aksana will die if all 8 of Faust's heads are destroyed at the same exact moment." Michelle stated quietly. AJ looked back to the two and saw that Aksana had not, in fact, fully recovered.

Although she was still very fast, her moves were not as sharp or precise as before. She was making mistakes in her fatigue and rage.

"She's probably not used to fighting for this long with her familiar out. Especially against someone as powerful as Mistress." Michelle sighed, leaning against AJ. The weasel moved a bit to accommodate the new weight of the blonde, but did not push her away. She watched the two quietly, a sense of dread building in her chest as she looked past their battle and at the glass tube with the imprisoned woman.

||~Summer's Dollhouse~||

Summer screamed, clutching her head as she threw around faceless dolls. The floor around her shook and she fell to her knees, screaming and thrashing around. She hadn't noticed her father walking in until there were boots in front of her face. She followed them up to meet his cold icy eyes.

She ignored him completely and went back to her tantrum, screaming and thrashing more than before. Taker rolled his eyes and picked her up by her arm. "Get a hold of yourself. The illusions are failing and you dropped Aksana and the Hart girl right in Renee's room." He growled. Summer's eyes flashed and she swung without thinking, slapping him in the face. His head didn't move in the slightest and she panted, eyes wild. A laugh left her pink lips as she tilted her head, smiling.

"Renee, Renee, Renee. What about Summer?! I'm your daughter! I'm better than some toy you picked up! Why don't you ever care about me, daddy? Huh?!" Summer snapped, shoving Taker's chest. As expected, he hardly moved an inch and Summer paced, chewing on her thumbnail and twirling a piece of her hair until it was in a tight, painful coil and releasing it before starting all over again. Taker rolled his neck on his shoulders and narrowed his eyes.

"You done?"

Summer stopped short, turning slowly to look at him. He suddenly seemed a lot more intimidating than before and she stepped back, a whimper leaving her throat. Taker scoffed.

"Aksana released the toys from their cells. I'll punish her after this rat infestation is dealt with but until then, I need you to take care of it. Can I count on you?" He questioned slowly. Summer stared at him before a slow smile stretched across her face and she nodded.

"Yes. Yes, I'll get on that right now."

||~With Drew's Group~||

The Scott frowned as Jeff slumped over, his body jolting slightly. The rainbow haired man was babbling deliriously once more and Drew sighed. "He's going through withdrawal worse than any of us. We need to get him somewhere safe-"

"Drew…look" Heath breathed. The Scott looked up to find they had stumbled into a room that contained an assortment of weapons, most of which were dysfunctional or broken.

"Quick, find as many workable weapons as you can!" Drew ordered. The two nodded and began looting the room while Drew set Jeff aside so he could think of what they were going to do next. The door creaked and Heath swirled around, firing a shot out of panic. Drew and Shannon watched the bullet burn in the familiar blackness of Jinder's fire before a tan blur tackled Heath to the floor, chakram drawn to his neck. Their eyes grew and they all stared at one Justin Gabriel.

The South African wolf gasped in shock and stared at Heath after sending the chakrams away. "H-Heath?" He stammered, eyes wide as he tentatively touched Heath's face. He was so dirty that Justin couldn't even see his freckles anymore but the South African couldn't care less. Tears sprung up as he all but crushed Heath's smaller frame against his, holding him tight. "Heath!" He cried, holding the man even tighter when he felt how skinny the man had gotten. Heath whimpered and nuzzled his face against Justin's cheek, tears streaming down his bloodied face.

Drew sighed happily and Shannon looked past them, seeing a pair of eyes leering at them from the shadows.

"LOOK OUT!" He screamed, summoning what little energy he had and firing a shot of dark elemental energy at the figure. It crumbled down and the group saw it was a doll modeled in the likeness of Jinder.

Heath whined loudly and Justin picked him up, scooting back and summoning his chakrams once more. Renee slowly stepped onto the platform above them, face covered in blood that had already dried and a lollipop dangling from her lips. Her eyes narrowed and she leaned on the railing and stared down at them. "This could've all been avoided if you little shits just stayed in your damn place. Now I've got to kill you." She muttered over the candy in her mouth. Justin scoffed and put himself between her and the injured Subs.

"You look like someone's already taken a bite out of you. You sure you want to go around picking fights you can't win?" He taunted. Summer's eyes narrowed and she jumped up to sit on the railing, raising her hands high in the air, thin threads dangling from her fingers.

"Die."

Justin barely had the time to blink before something slammed into his stomach. He coughed violently, one of his chakrams falling to the floor as he took another hit to the face. He tumbled down and glanced up, spotting a Ryback doll. The emotionless doll swung around, kicking Justin in the stomach once more. The wolf rolled slightly, grinding his teeth together as he forced himself to rise to his feet once more.

"Great. Because fighting the real one wasn't enough." He spat, summoning back the chakram he lost and tossing them both. They hardly left a scratch in the doll as they flew by and Justin's eyes grew. Summer smirked cruelly from above and her fingers twitched. Several dark portals opened all around in the room and one by one, the dolls of Kane, Tamina, Jack, Damien, stepped through. Summer laughed, the sound bouncing off the walls in the room.

"Who's not prepared now?!" She sneered, making the Tamina doll lunge for Justin, her own chainsaw ready. Justin flinched, bringing his chakrams up in an attempt to block the massive motorized weapon. Luckily, he didn't have to because Drew came flying in from the left, and kicked the doll in the head, knocking its aim off just enough for Justin to roll away untouched. Summer's eyes twitched and she looked down to the group.

"Ya think we're going ta sit back an' let ye attack our friend?" Drew spat, blood boiling. He may not have been anywhere near 100%, but he was ready for a fight. Shannon picked up a damaged sword and tossed it to him while he himself grabbed one of the rapid-fire guns that were in one of the crates. Heath stayed slightly behind, closer to a still-dazed Jeff while he held onto a slightly less useful kendo stick, ears upright and alert. Summer stared at the scene with no emotion before she laughed, bringing her hands farther apart.

"You all want to die in a final blaze of glory? Allow me to assist." She hummed, swinging her hands forward.

Justin stood and leapt out of the way as "Ryback" came barreling at him again. He skidded slightly, slamming his palm to the ground and ducking down when "Tamina" swung its chainsaw at his head. Once the doll was off-balance, Drew used Justin's position to leap over and kick it in the head before slamming his sword between its shoulder blades. The doll stilled for a moment but began moving again, trying to swivel around and attack Drew. The Scottish cat hissed.

"Shit. What's it take to break these things?" He hissed, slamming his foot into its back and trying to pry his sword free. Justin only offered a grunt since he was playing temporary matador to the Ryback doll.

Across the room, Shannon tried to maneuver around the fast-moving Damien and Jack dolls, trying to blast them to bits with his gun before they could get anywhere near Heath or Jeff. He was about to hit Damien in the midsection when the gun suddenly jammed. His eyes grew and he tried to get it to work when he was suddenly punched in the face by a flaming fist. Shannon let out a yelp of pain as his cheek was scorched. He'd forgotten about the Kane doll. Now, the three dolls were fast approaching him and he tried to feel around the floor for something, anything he could use.

Heath sprang up and ran as fast as he could, shoulder-tackling Damien to the floor before he swung his kendo stick up to hit Jack in the throat. The doll was, of course, not fazed and only turned to attack Heath with its axe instead. Shannon dropkicked Kane and leapt up onto Jack's back, wrestling the weapon free with some difficulty and swinging at Damien, watching the doll crumble to the floor in pieces. Shannon swung again at Jack and laughed triumphantly as the blonde doll fell the same way. Heath and Shannon high-5ed for a moment before Kane raised its arms, grabbing them both by the neck and chokeslamming them to the ground. It kicked the axe away and began approaching them, palms ablaze from fire elemental stones embedded there. Shannon and Heath noticed that the Jack and Damien Dolls were steadily crawling closer, as well.

Drew glanced over, seeing their situation, and spat out a curse. "Fuck! I can't help right now!" He snapped, backing away from a wild swing from Tamina, the chainsaw coming much too close to his face for comfort. Justin tried to make a run for it but Ryback caught him off-guard and speared him into a weapons barrel, shattering the wood. Luckily, none of the damaged goods inside harmed Justin. The wolf used this as an opportunity to coat his hand in black fire and drive his fist through the hard clay of Ryback's head, shoving the doll off with haste. He threw his body around and tossed his chakrams in the direction of Heath and Shannon, hoping he'd hit something. Luckily, they both embedded themselves in Kane's back and ignited the doll with black hellfire.

Summer was hardly impressed.

She pushed her lollipop to the other side of her mouth and summoned another doll: Maxine. Shannon shook his head, standing to kick away the Damien doll while Heath grabbed the axe and hacked away at the Jack doll once more. "This is a problem." He muttered before Maxine lunged, its sais drawn. Shannon wasn't fast enough to make an offensive move because of the speed and Heath tried to get a hit in but the doll swung in an inhumanly like manor and slammed its hand into the center of his chest, a painful jolt coursing through his body.

He fell to the ground instantly, his whole body jerking right and left as he yowled and writhed in pain. It felt like every cell in his body was being electrocuted at once. Shannon ducked out of the way of a death blow, but right into a knee to the face. His head snapped up and he held his nose in pain, feeling blood seep through his fingers. Summer cackled, summoning Bella Twins and Layla dolls for the hell of it.

"We're going to die. We're all going to fucking die" Drew hissed, trying to jam his sword into the center of Tamina's chest. The doll swung on and Drew lunged when he found a blind spot, stabbing it in the neck and cursing when the sword snapped in half. The doll jerked, arms no longer functional. Drew took it upon himself to grab the chainsaw and turned, trying to figure out who was better to take out first. Justin came to his side, chakrams up and ready. "You go right, I go left" He muttered. Drew nodded, revving the chainsaw with a determined look set on his dirty face.

The two lunged and Justin threw his chakrams once more, severing the threads to Layla's yo-yos before he spun and kicked it in the head. Drew tossed up the chainsaw at a Bella (He believed it was Nikki but he'd run out of fucks to give for the rest of the year) and while it was distracted, he sprang up from a wall, claws out, and slashed at the other. The one he hit with the chainsaw dropped the weapon and aimed sharpened talons at his neck but a blur of brown and an earthy aroma whirled past him and blasted the doll into a wall, crushing it to pieces. Drew fell to the floor and looked up in shock. Summer sat up on the railing, eyes flashing.

"What?!" She hissed. They all looked back to the doorway to see a very welcome group of large men standing there. Drew sighed in relief, Shannon didn't have the time to look since he was still dealing with Maxine, Justin nodded in appreciation, and Heath teared up slightly. Slowly, the trio entered the room, and the chorus of snarls, growls, and knuckles cracking had never been so welcome before by the Subs.

"Summer Rae, I'm afraid I've got some **_bad/i >_** news."

||~Back in the~||

Shawn struggled to stand on all of his paws, looking through bloodied fur to see Punk and Hunter trying to defend themselves against the giant known as Show. Shawn's ears twitched and the wild at looked down into the chamber room, spotting a dark corridor opening right beside Natalya and the other woman. Shawn's eyes darkened as he watched Taker appear, punching Natalya in the chest and grabbing hold of Gale's feathers and tossing the firebird away effortlessly. Shawn looked back and forth between the two battles and bowed his head down.

_"I'm sorry, Hunter"_

Hunter glanced back just in time to see his Sub dive off the side of the railing and plunge down. His eyes grew and he ran to the railing, reaching his hand over the side in a futile attempt to catch Shawn. "No!" He roared in confusion and anguish. Punk ran to his side and the two watched Shawn pounce on Taker from above, the two rolling around for a moment before Taker kicked Shawn off. The man reverted back to his hybrid state and ran at Taker full-speed, ignoring Michelle and AJ's screams. Taker grunted in amusement and summoned his scythe, swinging at Shawn.

The blonde knew full well this was coming, so he leapt back and ran for Taker now that he had an open spot. He lurched forward, slamming both of his palms into Taker's ribcage. The man grunted, bringing the blunt side of his scythe down on Shawn's head. The man's head split, blood gushing down his head, but he did not move from his position, instead he swung his head up, headbutting Taker in the jaw before turning and using all his body weight to kick him in the chin. Taker stumbled and Michelle stood, her own revenge-fury spurring her to act out and help Shawn. AJ stayed seated, not sure if it was what Natalya wished.

The blonde was busy with Aksana, but she did manage to sneak in a small nod in AJ's direction.

The weasel jumped up, summoning her wind and dashing towards Taker with her sickles swinging. The Phenom didn't look the least bit fazed, in fact, he seemed bored with them already. He dodged every thrust from Michelle's rapier (she was far too upset to function properly.), and every swing to behead him form AJ's sickles (she was busy casting glances back at Natalya, and Taker had managed to get more than a few hard hits in). Shawn had hung back, eyes dark. His thumb brushed over the bottle of amber liquid once more and he steeled himself as Taker kicked Michelle into AJ and swung the blunt end of his scythe like a bat to knock them both away.

Shawn clutched the bottle and ran.

Taker was caught off-guard when he was kicked again and tackled into the glass prison. His eyes grew and he looked back, checking for cracks. His lips curled into a snarl and he kneed Shawn before swinging and gashing the puma's arm. Shawn cried out and stumbled back and Taker grabbed him by the neck, raising him in the air. Shawn's feet dangled and he sent Taker a look the Phenom couldn't decipher. He brought his leg around and kicked Taker in the chest before throwing his body forward.

Michelle looked up when he did this and she screamed. "SHAWN NO!" She cried, reaching for him just as she saw Taker summon a sword in his open hand and stab Shawn through the stomach with it.

Everyone froze.

Slowly, crimson dewdrops raced to the end of the sword. They embraced one another before diving off and splashing to the skeleton remains that covered the floor. More and more began to join in this crimson race and Shawn glanced down, taking his hands away from the wound on his stomach to see them covered with his own blood. He went to make a sound, but all that came out was a cough and blood splattering on Taker's cheek. Shawn weakly brought his head up, a cruel smile twisting onto his lips, which were now stained red.

"Guess you got me"

Taker scoffed, not moving. "I told you, you can't escape once my mark is on you. Your only escape will be your death" He grunted. Shawn chuckled weakly and pressed his palm to his mouth to hold back some of the blood. Slowly, he brought his hand down "Guess so…how 'bout one more for old time's sake?" He questioned. Taker sent him a look before chuckling darkly, looking up directly at Hunter.

"Hear that? In his last moments, he still wishes to be in my arms. You're truly alone, Hunter" He taunted before looking back to Shawn. The puma didn't meet his eyes, but it didn't matter. Taker lifted Shawn's face, cupping his cheek with a gentleness that seemed so misplaced.

He brought them together for their final kiss.

Taker forced Shawn's mouth open, ravishing the man for the last time, spurred on with the knowledge that Hunter was watching all of this. Watching his Sub turn away in his final moments, back where he belonged. It would kill-

Taker choked.

Ice eyes grew and the man stumbled back, hands flying up to his throat. _Burning._ His throat was _burning!_

Taker snarled and looked up at Shawn. The Puma stared smugly down at him as he fell to his knees, blood and a mysterious amber liquid dribbling from the corner of his lips. His palm opened and Taker watched a small empty bottle roll into the mess of skeletons, a single drop of amber liquid clinging to the edge like a taunting mockery. Taker coughed violently and looked into Shawn's hazy eyes. The wounded man chuckled weakly.

_"I'll see you in Hell"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *****God of the Chapter: Thor**
> 
> **Of Norse mythology, Thor is the rugged god of thunder, war, and strength. Thor's preferred weapon (and the most famed) is his hammer, Mjolnir. A gift from his father Odin, no one but the Thunderer can lift the weapon unless completely pure of heart. Thor is a good-natured, yet careless and easily angered god.**
> 
> **The Norse believed that during a thunderstorm, Thor rode through the heavens on his chariot pulled by the goats Tanngrisni ("gap-tooth") and Tanngnost ("tooth grinder"). Lightning flashed whenever he threw his hammer Mjolnir. Thor wears the belt Megingjard which doubles his already considerable strength. His hall is Bilskirnir, which is located in the region Thrudheim ("place of might"). His greatest enemy is Jormungand, the Midgard Serpent. At the day of Ragnarok, Thor will kill this serpent but will die from its poison. His sons will inherit his hammer after his death.**
> 
> **Character of the God: Paul Levesque or "Hunter"*****


	17. Chapter 17

Taker snarled and held his hand out, summoning his scythe back. "You sneaky little shit." He snarled, gripping it (and his throat) tight and running full-speed at the injured puma. Shawn slipped into unconsciousness just as Taker swung at him. The Phenom was knocked back by a gust of wind and AJ transported Shawn to the other side of the room, cradling his head. Michelle fell to her knees, hands shaking as she checked his pulse. Taker's head slowly turned towards them and his lips curled. Without a word, he took a step, and both women braced themselves.

They flinched when a shot rang out in the room.

All heads turned and Natalya let a small amused noise slip past her lips as Aksana and herself locked whips. Aksana heard it and glanced between her and the door. Natalya smiled coldly. "The cavalry has arrived." She cooed. Taker looked from the door to the glass chamber and decided to press himself against it, waiting.

Dean cracked his knuckles, rolling his neck on his shoulders. "You're a hard motherfucker to find." Roman grunted, his club resting on his shoulder. Dean surveyed the room; eyes landing on Shawn's crumpled up form. Derrick and Johnny saw the icy look Taker sent them and they both cowered away, as far as possible from them without actually leaving the room. "What the fuck happened here?" Dean growled. Before anyone could speak, Seth walked past them, swaying slightly with every step, his body taught with tension. That two toned curtain of hair covered his eyes until he lifted his head, a fire aflame in his eyes.

"You've killed my family."

"You've stolen _everything!_ " Seth took off before he even finished the sentence, leaving Dean and Roman behind. The two didn't hesitate to follow. Taker calmly pushed himself off the glass and moved out of the way of the first few shots Seth fired. The cat hissed and went to kick Taker in the throat but the man moved back and caught his foot, throwing him into Dean, who was going to attack him from the left. He ducked under Roman's club strike and grabbed the man's face, slamming the back of his head into the floor. AJ flinched and Michelle began to panic from across the room. "He's still so powerful…even after Shawn used the poison…don't tell me he sacrificed himself for nothing!" She cried, slamming her fist into the ground.

"You can't win, Seth. My mark is on you. I'll _always_ have the advantage on you" Taker squeezed his hand into a fist and Seth collapsed, his pistols clattering to the floor as he screamed in pain. He felt as if the skin below his collar was burning. He clawed at his neck, but refused to take the item off. Roman and Dean were suddenly grateful for Seth's choice to wear gloves. They watched as the same mark that was on Derrick rose to the back of Seth's neck. A fresh wave of possessive rage washed over them. Taker chuckled.

"He was mine long before he met the two of you. It's cute you've babysat him for this long and I would thank you if you hadn't aided in my pet becoming disobedient" He grunted, ignoring Seth's crumpled form. Taker extended a hand out and smirked. "Come, Seth. Come here and I promise the pain will stop" He grinned, a savage glint in his eye. Seth looked up, one hand clutching the back of his neck while the other pushed him off the floor. He stood, wiping tears out of his eyes and stared across the room at Taker. Dean and Roman didn't move, both watching him carefully. He lowered his eyes.

Seth took a step closer.

"Do you think I'm fucking _stupid?_ " Seth snarled, breaking into another run and pulling his assault rifle off his back. He flicked his wrist and it extended out into its scythe form and Seth swung at Taker. The man stepped back, unimpressed, summoning his own and knocking Seth back. He swung for the two toned cat's midsection but Dean caught him from the right, twisting his whole body into a heart punch. Taker stumbled back and Dean ducked down, the wind above him slicing as 5 of Roman's knives came flying over him and into Taker's chest. The man snarled and grabbed them, snatching them out as if nothing happened. He caught the next punch Dean threw at him and twisted his arm around, kicking him in the chest and elbowing him hard in the back of the neck, raising his scythe to severe his arm off.

Seth saw this and ran full-speed at him, slamming the bottom of his scythe into the ground and vaulting over Dean to kick Taker in the face, both knocking him away from Dean and making him lose grip of his own scythe. Seth raised his hands and shouted to someone, _anyone_ behind him.

"Gun! Now!" he hissed.

Johnny was the one that reacted, scurrying over to one of the fallen pistols and throwing it in Seth's direction while Derrick threw the other. Seth caught them both, jumping to his feet and emptying both clips into Taker's body after twisting them to the fire setting. The man went still, and Seth panted, eyes wide as he stared at the growing pool of blood. From behind them, Derrick and Johnny smiled, tears welling up in their eyes.

"Seth did it…We're free!" Johnny cheered. Seth glanced back at them, mouth agape for a moment before he smiled. Natalya glanced at them out of the corner of her eyes, seeing the black mark under Seth's collar. She snarled and moved to dart towards Seth, but Aksana raised a wall of dry ice to block them.

"Let the boy make his mistakes."

"SETH HE'S NOT DEAD!" AJ cried.

Seth's head snapped back to the front of him just as Taker shot up, grabbing his face in an iron grip. He hissed in pain and The Phenom snarled, lifting him off the ground. "Come now, you must be even more of a fool than I gave you credit for if you think a few bullets will stop me." He growled, turning his body and putting an immense amount of power into throwing Seth directly at the dry ice wall Aksana raised moments before.

Seth went completely through it, hitting the opposite wall. It knocked the air right out of his chest and he fell from the wall after a few seconds, coughing violently to get some air back into his body. Aksana glanced at him. "Poor kitten" She murmured as she leaped out of the way of Natalya's strike.

"Seth!" AJ cried, running to him and falling to her knees at his side. She put him on his back and leaned down with her ear to his mouth to make sure he was still breathing. She let out a grateful sigh and lifted him up. "Seth I don't think-"

"AJ, I need your help"

Across the room, Dean and Roman were _radiating_ rage. Both of them were sloppily throwing attacks at Taker left and right. Ones he easily deflected or dodged. At one point, Taker teleported out of the way of one of their double teams and Roman ended up throwing 3 knives into Dean's thigh. Taker smirked to himself, watching as Dean did his best to wobble after him with that injured leg. He swept Dean's feet and slammed the heel of his boot into Dean's injured thigh. Dean roared in pain and Roman tried to knock Taker off, but the man caught him by the throat, eyes flashing red. He was about to crush Roman's throat when a gust of wind blew up behind him.

Turning back quickly, he saw AJ and Seth crouched down on one of her clouds. She smirked devilishly up at him while Seth snarled, one of his pistols right under Taker's jaw.

"That _hurt_ , fucker" He snarled, emptying another clip into Taker's jaw as AJ pressed her palms to his stomach, summoning a large amount of her wind element and knocking him all the way back to the glass tube, leaving his stomach with deep gashes and his jaw bleeding profusely. The two Subs grinned at one another, high 5-ing. Roman ran to Dean's side. "Seth, AJ, cover us. I need to heal Dean" Roman ordered. Seth picked up his scythe and AJ grabbed her sickles.

"We understand"

Both of them lunged once more but Taker looked up, his eyes having completely rolled back at this point. The corner of his lips lifted into a snarl and he swiped his hand to the left, knocking them both away. Seth hit another wall and AJ hit him. The two fell and looked up, seeing Taker push himself off the glass. He spit up something black, one hand curling around his throat again. Seth's eyes narrowed.

"The poison is taking effect again. We should strike now" He told her. She nodded and summoned another cloud for them to get to him quickly. As soon as they were both on, they disappeared into a gust of wind. Taker, unfazed, lifted his hand, which was pulsing with Hellish energy. His eyes narrowed and he slammed his foot into the ground, thrusting his hand into the space in front of him.

AJ appeared from the cover of wind, coughing up blood before Taker snarled, letting out a roar as he blasted her to the far corner of the room, into Natalya. The weasel's stomach bruised instantly and even began to bleed. AJ spasmed violently and Natalya shot up, pressing her hand to AJ's stomach too heal her before any extensive damage was done. Aksana grabbed her whip tightly, not moving. Natalya noticed this and glanced up suspiciously. Aksana didn't make any eye contact, stepping away with her back to Natalya.

"You've got 1 minute to heal her before I attack once more" She whispered, but Natalya heard her loud and clear. She looked up, noticing Faust slithering away from Gale, also.

Seth stared up at Taker, watching the man's injuries heal, albeit slower than usual, but still at a faster rate than Roman was healing Dean. Seth snapped back into reality and lept out of the way before Taker could cut him with the sword he summoned.

"Your tricks won't work. I've let you have your fun." He growled, voice lifeless. Seth watched as the black aura around him pulsed and grew heavy. Seth suddenly felt as if he couldn't breathe, and he took several steps back to brace himself for whatever was happening. The aura pulsed, stronger, louder, and the darkness completely overtook Taker, covering his once-pale skin in an onyx, stone-like outer covering. Seth swung his scythe without thinking and Taker didn't move an inch, the blade connecting with his neck. Instead of the desired death blow Seth was expecting, the actual blade trembled as if Seth had tried to attack a stone wall.

It sent vibrations running up Seth's arm and he was forced to let his scythe go. He looked up with wide eyes and Taker slammed his fist into his stomach. Seth coughed violently, feeling like he'd gotten hit by a damn truck instead of punched. He crumpled to the floor and Taker stared down at him, eyes now crimson red.

"You disappoint me, boy. Being with them has made you weak" he grunted. Seth looked up and Taker slammed the back of his boot onto his head. "Weak and pathetic" He continued, assaulting Seth's head without mercy. He rose his boot once more and grunted in mild surprise when Seth's head wasn't driven into the ground. Seth trembled and pushed his head up against his boot, fire in his eyes.

"I will _kill_ you, or I'll die trying"

"Well then you should know where this is going because I'm unstoppable"

Taker was going to inflict another head wound to the cat when there was a dull throb in his side. He glanced down, seeing Johnny and Derrick attacking him in one spot. They stared up at him in fear when they realized it hadn't even fazed him. He snarled and clutched his hand into a fist, injuring all in the room with his mark on them.

Seth, Michelle, and Derrick cried out in pain while Shawn whined weakly in his unconscious state. Taker grabbed Johnny's head and tossed him into Aksana's dry ice wall like he did Seth. Johnny didn't go through, but he was knocked unconscious with that one hit. Derrick trembled and tried to step away, but Taker grabbed him by the neck, crushing his windpipe slowly. Derrick clawed at his hands and it gave Seth enough time to revert his scythe back into its assault rifle state and charge up a shot. Taker noticed the glow a bit late as Seth fired right into his side, not only getting him to let go of Derrick before he killed him, but it sent him flying with enough force to shatter the glass tube.

Aksana heard the glass shatter and paused in her fighting with Natalya, lowering the dry ice wall to look over at the scene. Her eyes grew and a gasp left her lips. Natalya glanced over as well, signaling for Gale to pause in his own battle with Faust.

The woman in the tube had gotten injured from the shattered glass. A shard had flown at her face, narrowly missing her eye and instead cutting the blindfold there. Taker sat up and his eyes grew when he saw what happened.

The woman's blindfold slid away from her face, a thin ribbon of blood dribbling up into her scalp. For several moments, nothing happened.

And then her eyes snapped open.

Glowing amber, the woman's eyes scanned the room before her lips twitched. She raised her legs, swinging them towards her body and breaking the industrial-sized chains keeping her legs suspended above her. She flipped, now dangling by her wrists in an upright position. She pulled her arms apart and then swung them together, clanging the shackles on her wrists together. The chain shook and after a second, every last link to the chain keeping her down broke apart. She fell to her feet, her knees buckling before she looked up, wrenching the shackles off of her hands.

"Renee" Aksana whispered. Natalya looked to the raven before looking back over to the dirty blonde. Renee glanced back at Taker's form, her eyes glowing even brighter.

"Wicked being, did you expect to keep me oppressed in that chamber as you sapped my powers away?" She questioned, her voice monotone despite the tenseness in her body and the rage burning in her eyes. Taker didn't respond and Renee lifted her hand. It was pulsing with white energy, the exact opposite of Taker's Hellish energy. Her lip curled and she fired a blast that nearly reached him before it dissipated just before hitting him.

"I see. I am not strong enough to battle you myself now. And I see the surrounding conditions of these people. They are not strong enough either" She muttered. Aksana's lips parted and she made a surprised sound and Seth stood. Roman had luckily finished healing Dean and they stood, too.

"Hey, lady, I don't know who you are or exactly what your beef is with him, but could you kindly get the hell out of the way?" Dean questioned rudely, walking to come to Seth's side while cracking his gauntlet-covered hands. Renee glanced back at them, no expression on her face.

"You cannot beat him. Did you not hear me, mortal?"

"We heard you loud and clear, we just don't give a damn" Roman spoke this time, eyes hard and sharp. He placed a hand on Seth's shoulder and the two toned cat hissed at Taker, grabbing his assault rifle so hard it hurt.

"Too many people have died because of this man and I promised I'd kill him. I'm going to kill him, now you can either help us or we'll mow through you too. _Move_ " Seth ordered, his voice dripping with an authority neither Dean nor Roman had seen in a Sub before. The two exchanged a look before smirking and locking eyes with the woman.

"What's it going to be? We ain't got all day, lady" Dean snapped.

Renee closed her eyes, a small, near serene smile crossing her face. "So there is hope. Allow me to apologize. I've underestimated you all and your determination. I may not be able to defeat him at the moment until I recharge, but I can still share my power with 3 loyal Hounds of Justice" She told them. Taker and Aksana's eyes grew.

"No you don't!" Taker snarled, lunging for the woman. She raised her hand, creating a barrier and holding them back. He snarled and started relentlessly attacking the barrier. Renee made her way over to the trio. "You three seek justice. I need three hounds. I'm sure we can come to an agreement under these circumstances, yes?" She questioned. Roman furrowed his brow while Seth watched Taker try to break the barrier in shock. Dean looked her in the eye.

"The hell are you going on about, lady? We're cats. What the hell is this Hounds of Justice bullshit?" He questioned. Renee placed her hand on Seth's head. "I can give you a piece of my power. The change will make you stronger, probably strong enough to kill him. But you'll need to pledge your loyalty to me" she whispered as the barrier began to crack.

"Renee! Renee what about me?!" Aksana cried from the other side of the room. Renee turned her head, emotionlessly stared at her. She looked at the state of the woman. Aksana's brows knitted together slightly and she stepped closer. "Don't you…don't you remember me? I've already pledged my loyalty to you. It's why I'm here, I-"

"Impure."

Aksana froze, eyes wide. Her mouth fell open and Renee turned away from her as if she didn't speak in the first place. Aksana fell to her knees, completely shocked and defeated. Faust slithered over to her, nudging her side with one of his massive heads, his forked tongue flicking out. Natalya hadn't believed she'd ever see snakes show remorse, but here it was. Aksana let her whip go and lowered her head, tears splashing to the floor below.

"If we have a shot at killing Taker, let's do it" Dean grunted, choosing to ignore that moment. Renee nodded and cupped her hands over her heart as if praying. Dean stared at her like she was insane while both Roman and Seth watched the barrier crack even more.

"Not to interrupt you or anything, but we're going to fucking get our asses kicked if you don't do whatever you're doing faster" Dean spat quickly, watching the cracks grow more and more.

"It would've been done faster if you'd just agreed as soon as I proposed the idea."

"We don't even know your name! You were hanging upside down in that glass tube for god knows how long!"

"5 years, 8 months, 3 days, 7 hours, and 29 seconds"

"What the fu-"

"Guys the barrier is breaking!" Seth cried just as Taker smashed through it and lunged through it, sword ready. All three of them took a defensive stance and Renee opened her eyes, throwing her hands apart.

6 wings sprouted from her back and a blinding light enveloped the room. The three had to shield their eyes to keep from being blinded and Renee glanced back. Taker and everyone else were suspended in time. She closed her eyes for a moment and slowly looked back to the three stupefied men. She let a small sarcastic smile cross her face.

"I'm giving you some of my power, have a little faith that I'll watch your back. I can't hold this for much longer, so give me your hands" She ordered. The three did as told and she cupped their three hands between hers. Suddenly, power pulsed through them, along with all the memories of the girl.

"I just exchanged our memories, since we don't have enough time for introductions. Are you ready?" She questioned. They nodded. "Let's do this, Renee" Seth told her, determined. She smiled and nodded once.

"Dean, you are my hound of the Underworld. You are my fury, you are my tact.

Roman, you are my hound of the Earth. You are my aggression, you are my power.

Seth, you are my hound of the Sky. You are what keeps my other sides together, my speed.

To the three of you, I grant three portions of my power, three of my most powerful elements. Magma, frost, and lightning. Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, you are now my Hounds of Justice" She cooed, and even more power pulsed through them. Renee watched as Dean, Rome, and Seth's eyes began to shine crimson, cerulean, and amber, respectfully. A small smile crossed her face once more as she watched the three turn into dogs before her eyes.

Dean clenched his fist and grinned just as the time resumed.

Taker's lunge was countered by Roman catching his blade. The Phenom's eyes grew and the Samoan man growled. "It won't be that easy" He snarled, summoning a sword of ice and stabbing right through Taker's protective skin. Taker coughed and quickly lept away.

"What-"

"Surprise motherfucker, thought you'd seen the last of me? I've got to repay you for fucking with my leg, don't I?" Dean snarled, seemingly appearing out of nowhere behind taker in mid-air. The man turned and watched as magma coated Dean's fists and he twisted his body, punching Taker's leg at full-strength. The man roared and went careening to the floor, where Seth was waiting, scythe ready. Static ran through the fur on his now-bushy tail and he looked up at Taker, fury in his amber eyes.

"This is for Brad-" Seth swung, slicing one of Taker's arms off. He pivoted and kicked him into the shattered remains of Renee's prison. "This is for Shawn-"He continued, sprinting over to Taker as he got up and slashing his stomach before he could heal. He tossed his scythe up and it fell back into his arms as the assault rifle. He gnashed his fangs and charged up the shot.

_"And this is for my family. Burn in hell, motherfucker"_

Seth fired the shot, but Taker teleported at the last moment, panting and holding his stomach. He began coughing, another pulse of weakness rushing through his body from the poison Shawn slipped him.

"No! I will not die! Aksana, defend me until I heal!" he snarled at the woman who was still on the ground. Aksana looked up through her veil of raven hair. Faust looked his way as well before looking back to Aksana, as if asking her what to do. The woman stood, grabbing her whip once more. Natalya and Gale were on-guard again, but the woman simply walked past them with Faust slithering after her.

"You want me to help you? I said I was only here until I died or until my beloved was free. She is. So now, my last order of business is to see to it that you die." She spat, cracking her whip before breaking into a run towards him with Faust at her side. Taker's eyes grew and he braced himself. Aksana was closing in when suddenly a pain shot through her body.

Everyone's eyes grew as they watched Renee dig her fingers into Aksana's back, even though the too-tight leather suit she wore. Aksana's eyes grew and she looked back at Renee in shock, tears welling up in her eyes again.

"R-Renee-"

"Impure. I am only taking back what is mine"

With that, Renee's fingers wrapped around something and she snatched away aggressively, pulling a sword from Aksana's body. The woman screamed bloody murder and Faust hissed loudly in correspondence, a huge gash appearing on his tail. Renee stepped back, flicking Aksana's blood off like it was nothing and leaving the woman bleeding on the floor, screaming, squirming, and crying in pain. Everyone watched Aksana on the floor rather than Renee's assault on Taker. AJ looked to Natalya.

"She…she didn't even care" she whispered.

Natalya closed her eyes and walked over to Aksana, kneeling down by the injured woman. Aksana looked up at her through her tears. She smiled coldly.

"Go on then. Kill me" she urged, wincing at the pain. Natalya looked at the wound. "I assume the sword buried in you is the sacred sword said to have been hidden in one of the tails of the legendary 8 headed snake?" She questioned. Aksana nodded despite cringing in pain. Natalya looked over to Renee, who was attacking Taker with Roman and Dean at her side while Seth stood off to the back, charging another one of his shots.

"Is that Renee's sword?" She questioned. Aksana shook her head, speaking apparently growing more and more difficult. Natalya clicked her tongue.

"You have no loyalties to Taker?"

"I was trying to- **ugh** -kill him before I had a sword _ripped_ from my body. What do you think?!" Aksana spat, cringing in the middle of the sentence. Natalya rolled her over and placed her hands on Aksana's back, her pink fire covering her hands as she quickly healed her injury. From above, Gale perched on Faust's injured tail, bowing down and covering the wound with his body and healing the serpent. Michelle and AJ watched quietly from the side, exchanging a look with one another but saying nothing. Aksana panted once Natalya finished and looked back to the woman.

"W-why are you-"

"I have my reasons. Your loyalty is with me now"

Aksana stared at her before looking over to Renee and Taker. The Lithuanian let out a sigh and closed her eyes, passing out from exhaustion. Faust instantly shrunk to about the size of an average cobra, still with all 8 heads. The serpent slithered onto Aksana, wrapping around her wrist like a bracelet and no longer moving. Natalya picked Aksana up and carried her to Michelle and AJ, setting her down. She looked over to the quartet fighting across the room.

"This is their fight now"

Seth let out a howl and both Roman and Dean moved out of the way as he fired off another charged shot, electricity ripping through the air as it hit Taker head-on. He coughed up an obscene amount of blood and snarled. "I won't lose to the likes of you." He spat. Renee was charging at him from the left.

"You will die here!" She shouted, raising her sword. He couldn't move in time and this would be the blow to do him in.

_"We're here"_

The lights flickered and in one moment, Taker was in front of Renee, the next, he was across the room, behind held up by two men, one wearing a sheep mask and the other looking like he hadn't showered in days. Everyone's eyes grew as they moved to the side, revealing a man in a Hawaiian shirt and white pants, a hand pulled down to cover his eyes. He rocked slowly in a rocking chair that no one had seen in the room before. Seth's eyes grew.

"It's you!" he cried. Dean and Roman looked towards him. "You know him?" They questioned. Seth nodded after a moment. "Not exactly know him…I saw him in the forest before we came inside here. He was on the porch of some creepy house in the woods…" Seth trailed off and Renee gripped the sacred sword tightly.

"Do you align yourself with the Undertaker, mortal?" She questioned, eyes narrowed. The man rocked on, saying nothing for the longest time before he stopped, slamming his foot to the floor. He tipped his hat up, a twinkle in his eyes.

"Mortal, you say? You must be mistaking me for something far weaker with my powers concealed. Here, allow me to show you how _mortal_ I am" He cooed, bringing his hand up and making some gesture in the air.

The air instantly became far too heavy and everyone fell to the ground hard. Renee cried out, struggling to raise her head to look at him. Seth, Dean, and Roman struggled too but they couldn't move an inch. The man chuckled and rose to his feet.

"This is only a fraction of my power and you already cannot stand. I am no mortal. Nor am I your foe unless you stand in my way. I only came to collect a little gift to myself" he told them.

"What is this gift you speak of? Who are you?!" she snapped. The man laughed, the eerie sound echoing in the room before he turned to the weakened Taker in the other two men's arms. He looked up, eyes narrowed.

"Bray, get me out of here, I order you" he snarled. Bray only continued to laugh, reaching out to touch Taker's face.

"As if I'd take orders from a weakling like you." He spat, voice lowering a few octaves and eyes going dark.

Everyone heard a sick **crunch** sound that echoed in the room, and Renee (being the only one who was facing them) watched as the man crushed Taker's head with one hand. He stepped back; face emotionless until a blackish red aura shot out of Taker's corpse. The two men tossed him to the ground and the aura shot into Bray, who tilted his head back, arms extended and chuckling merrily. Licking his lips, Bray looked over to the people in the room.

"Come, my children" he cooed, extending his hand. Renee watched as Summer, Antonio, and Show appeared in the room, all three of them confused beyond belief. Summer looked down at Taker's still body before looking over to Bray. "You killed Daddy" she gasped quietly, fake concern lacing her voice. She walked over to Taker's corpse and kicked it, laughing insanely to herself. "Who's laughing now?!" she hissed before looking across the room, spotting Renee. Her eyes narrowed.

"You" she spat, fully intending to kill Renee here and now. Antonio grabbed her wrist and yanked her back. She hissed and he shook his head. "We follow the orders of Lord Bray. Let's go." He muttered. She glared at Renee, wiping blood off her face.

"One day, bitch" she hissed.

Bray chuckled and reviewed everyone in the room one last time. "I look forward to seeing you again." He chuckled, summoning a portal. One by one, they all walked through it with Bray last.

_"Follow the Buzzards"_

Then he was gone and the pressure was lifted.

No one moved at first, and Punk and Hunter came running into the room, battered and bloody. "Where's Shawn?!" Hunter cried, running to Shawn's side. Renee sat up, emotionlessly staring across the room at Taker's body.

Seth was the first out of her Hounds to get up. He quietly dragged himself to his feet, waling over to the corpse of the man who'd tormented them all for years. He stared down at Taker's body and Dean came up to his side.

"He's dead."

"But we didn't kill him. How can I possibly be satisfied with that when some nutjob is running around with all that power?!" Seth barked, fists clenched. Roman came up to his other side and Seth let out a roar of frustration, drawing both of his pistols and firing shot after shot into the still man, tears rolling down his face. No one moved or said anything to stop him.

After the 4th clip, Seth paused after the bullets had run out, pulling the trigger weakly, the dull _click, click_ echoing in the room. Seth's body shook and Dean sighed, placing his palm over Seth's eyes. The Sub froze and Dean looked away.

"It's okay to cry. I'm frustrated too. But once you're done, realize that we're going to get stronger and take that other psycho down before he can do anything Taker did. For now, be fucking glad this son of a bitch is gone" Dean grunted. He felt wetness beneath his palm and sighed again, turning to take Seth into his arms while he cried.

"Everyone, get on Gale. We need to group up and get out of here" Natalya ordered. Slowly, everyone but Renee got on and Gale flew over to the large doorway to begin searching the mansion, looking for survivors, leaving Natalya and Renee alone. Renee was staring down at the sword in her hands with no expression and Natalya was making her way out. She walked past Renee and stopped for a moment, staring out of the door before looking at the woman out of the corner of her eyes.

"I think out of the two of you, you're the real impure one" She stated, her voice not much louder than a whisper, but it was scathing nonetheless. Renee's eyes grew and she turned to look at Natalya, mouth open, but the woman was already out the door. Renee looked down at her reflection in the sword.

_Impure…?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *****God of the Chapter: Triglav**
> 
> **In some legends, Triglav is veiled, so holy that He cannot see the evils of the world. He rarely appears around mortals. He is often depicted as a three headed man with gold blindfolds covering his eyes. These heads represent sky, earth, and the Underworld. Some priests believed Triglav had three heads to represent all three kingdoms (sky, earth, and hell) and has a blindfold over his eyes so he could not see the impurity of people and their sins. His eyes are said to possess great power**
> 
> ******Character of the God: Renee Young**
> 
> *****Creature of the chapter: Cerberus**
> 
> **Cerberus is the 3 headed hound of the Underworld. This guardian of the Underworld is there to make sure only the dead get in, and no one gets out. Some believe that due to its unmatched dedication and loyalty to the gods of ancient Greece, Cerberus was eventually released by Hades and was able to join the gods in a more human immortal form, thereafter being known by the name Naberius**
> 
> *****Characters of the Creature: Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns (after Renee lends them her power) the Hounds of Justice**


	18. Chapter 18

As soon as the first few people from the group stepped foot back in the Hart Dynasty, Adam, Chris, and Jay scurried up to them, taking Shawn from Hunter's arms and running the struggling man up to the medical wing where Kharma was waiting. Hunter quietly followed suit, fists clenched tightly. Natalya let out a breath and turned to the rest of the group, most of which were closely huddled together with their loved ones. There was still another car on its way there.

"I really hate to break this moment up, especially since it's been far too long since some of you have seen each other, but I need everyone who's injured to come with me so Gale and I can heal you." She told them politely. Renee looked away, no expression on her face.

"I will heal myself when my powers are back. My wounds are not that bad" she told her. Natalya didn't even spare her a look as she walked past her, taking her spot before Michelle. The woman looked at her through her good eye and Natalya cupped her face gently. Michelle smiled sorrowfully at her.

"You can't fix this injury. I know. Don't worry, Mistress" she told her. Natalya sighed and grabbed her hand, leading the way for her and the others who limped after her.

Once in the room, she sat them down by order of importance, starting with Michelle. She healed the open wound and gently eased a white eye patch over the woman's head. Michelle kissed her as a thank you before quietly strolling out of the room. Natalya knew full well the Sub was going off to find some place secluded so she could cry. The Canadian turned towards Shannon, Drew, Heath, and Jeff. A small smile came to her face.

"I'm glad you're alright-"

"Nattie! Something's wrong with Jeff!" Shannon cried, carefully laying Jeff down in front of her. The man's pupils were dilated and he spasamed almost violently, mumbling incoherently under his breath. His fingers twitched, and his hands shook while he glanced around rapidly in the room, never focusing on one object for too long. Natalya picked his head up in her lap and gently stroked his dirt-covered face.

"What the hell happened to him?" She questioned, looking up at the other three. Drew looked away, Heath whimpered and Shannon sighed. "Devil's Blood. Do you know what that is?" he questioned. Natalya nodded, petting Jeff's head to calm him down a bit. Shannon knelt down, holding his best friend's hand.

"It's like a drug, Nattie. We all were forced to take it. It numbed the mind and made all of our will to fight drain away. In AJ's case, it turned her into an infatuated and needy lost soul, in Jeff's case-"

"He's like an addict going through withdrawl." A voice came from the door. Natalya cringed and looked up, seeing Matt, Wade, and Sheamus running full speed at them, clearing the room in no time while Punk stayed by the door, eyes dark. Natalya looked down at Jeff, watching his brows twitch slightly.

"M-Master?"

Punk growled and turned, storming away.

Matt glanced back, ready to pursue, when he caught Natalya's firm gaze. "Leave him be for now. Jeff needs you." She scolded. Matt nodded, hugging Shannon close and leaning over to his baby brother. "It's gonna be alright, baby. Just hang in there, Nattie will help" he cooed, wiping some dirt off of Jeff's cheek. The man leaned into his touch and Natalya stood.

"Now that the majority of you are here, I'll just heal you all in one shot." She told them, pulling her whip from her belt and tossing it up. Gale appeared in the large room, cawing loudly before he spread his wings apart, plumes of pink fire falling upon nearly everyone who was injured and healing their wounds. Natalya held her hand up to get Gale to wait and looked over to Aksana.

The woman was sitting by the window, a veil of ice over her keeping Gale's fire from healing.

"You're injured." Natalya pointed out flatly. Everyone looked towards her and the woman glanced back. "I took out your Sub's eye, and I've aided in the harming of the Subs that were taken from you all. I do not deserve to be healed." She told her. Natalya clicked her tongue and glanced out of the corner of her eye to see Drew, Heath, and Shannon visibly upset, but none of the three said a word.

"As you wish. The rest of you are healed. Go get cleaned up"

(DSR)

Dean sat back on the couch, listening to the clock tick in the background. His head rested on the back of the couch while he ran his fingers through the softness of Seth's hair. His Sub purred quietly and nuzzled closer, never saying a word. Dean stared at the ceiling for the longest time, hearing Roman showering in the bathroom across the hall. Dean paused in his petting and looked down silently at Seth, watching how the slightly smaller man clutched his hands in tight fists, his jaw twitching from how tightly clenched it was.

"Seth."

Seth startled and looked up at Dean, eyes slightly widened and scared for a moment before he relaxed. "Yes, sir?" He responded. "You, Rome, and I are going out tomorrow without the rest of the group" Dean told him, not even bothering with using a tone that would leave room for argument. Not that Seth would argue with him or Roman, anyway. As expected, Seth simply nodded and put his head back on Dean's leg as he curled up on the couch again. Roman had entered the room quietly, not saying anything to protest what Dean had told Seth. He did send Dean a curious look, however.

"I want Seth to take us to where he came from"

Roman sent Dean a look and Seth instantly tensed before shooting straight up out of his lap. Dean looked up emotionlessly and Seth stared back, brows knitted together.

"You can't just-!

I don't want to go back to-!

This is crazy!" Seth protested, unable to form sentences the first few tries. Dean stood calmly and far faster than Seth expected, hooked two fingers into the loop on his collar and snatched him forward. Seth choked for a moment and looked into Dean's eyes, startled by the dark look the slightly taller man was giving him. Roman was watching the two quietly in the background, a pair of sweatpants hanging loosely on his hips.

"First off, don't test me, Seth. What Roman and I say goes. Secondly, this is for your benefit. I can tell how badly this all is for you. You need to go home and get some kind of closure. Trust me, I know what I'm doing" Dean grunted, letting Seth go. The cat coughed and looked down at the floor, conflict all over his face. Roman sighed and walked up beside them and ruffled Seth's hair until he heard a small disgruntled hiss leave the two toned Sub's lips.

"Go to bed. Both of you. We've had a hell of a day" He told them, pushing them towards the bed, effortlessly breaking up any conflict that was about to continue. Seth and Dean shuffled to the bed and Roman climbed in after them, nudging Seth aside so he was in the middle for once. Dean and Seth both gave him a confused look and he only brought both of their heads down to his chest. Dean grunted.

"The fuck you doing?"

"Dean, shut the fuck up and go to sleep"

"Whatever, fucker"

(WHJ)

Heath had blanked out in the shower.

While in the midst of scrubbing his skin until it was an angry red shade, realization of everything set in and he just blankly stared at the wall for the longest time before his legs failed him and he slid to the shower floor, trembling hands tangling into his now-clean hair before he screamed.

Justin froze in the next room and Wade barreled past him to get to the bathroom. He entered quietly with Justin hanging back by the doorway. Wade hummed and began unbuttoning his jeans, keeping his eyes on Heath. He spoke to Justin without looking back.

"Justin, go back in the other room. Make sure there's clean clothes and hot tea for the both of us in about 20 minutes. Go." He ordered, kicking his jeans aside and pulling his shirt over his head. "Yes, sir" Justin nodded without hesitation and backed out of the room, closing the door before he scurried away to do what was asked of him.

Wade gently eased himself in the tub, soaking his body and his boxers instantly under the shower spray. Wade reached over and scooped Heath into his arms, maneuvering around so Heath was straddling him.

"Heath, look at me" Wade whispered, voice barely breaking sound over the spray. Heath trembled and shook his head, hot tears now rolling down his face. Wade didn't repeat himself, nor did he get angry. He just sat there with Heath in his lap, rocking him slightly as the smaller man bawled. After a few minutes, Heath looked up.

"How can you look at me? After all that they've done...I...I don't deserve to be here. I want to die" Heath whispered. Wade's hand rose to the back of Heath's head and pulled him close so their foreheads were together.

"Stop it, Heath. I'm glad you're back. You didn't want any of that to happen. It's my fault. I should have protected you and Justin better. For that, I'm sorry. But don't ever let me hear you say you don't want to live anymore. Your life is beautiful and I'm complete again now that you're here. We'll get through this. You're safe now." Wade told him gently, moving some of Heath's hair out of his face. Heath looked up at him tentatively.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't fight back. I tried. I wasn't strong enough, I-"

"Heath."

"Y-yes, sir?"

"I love you. Now please stop. I'm not mad at you" Wade told him, lifting Heath's face to kiss him. It was gentle, only a brush of their lips and Wade didn't push any more than that. Heath noticed this instantly and his eyes shot open and he stared at Wade with misty eyes before he threw his arms around the man's larger frame and sobbed once more. Wade cradled him close and reached over to the knob to turn the now-icy shower water off. He picked Heath up bridal style and gently made his way out of the room, leaving a small trail of water on the hardwood floor.

Justin was waiting as instructed and he quickly towel-dried Heath off after Wade nodded in his direction. Heath was still crying and Justin looked at him before gently dabbing his eyes with the towel and kissing him just as gently as Wade did. He smiled at his fellow Sub. "You're home, Heath. I even made your favorite tea. Relax. I'm going to go clean up the water on the floor so no one trips" Justin stated before scurrying away. Wade chuckled and looked over at Heath, watching the man calm down slightly as he sipped away at his raspberry tea. He stood and told Heath to stay a moment while he went to Justin.

He found the South African cleaning the floor on his hands and knees with a paper towel. Wade resisted the urge to comment sarcastically on his choice and pulled Justin up. Wade wrapped his arms around Justin's chest and nuzzled his face in the crook of Justin's neck. Justin tilted his head to the side and keened quietly when Wade nipped at the skin just below his collar.

"I haven't properly apologized to you for being such a wanker when Heath was gone" Wade commented. Justin looked back and shook his head. "It's alright, I understand. Everyone was stressed. I don't hold it against you, Master" Justin told him. Wade clicked his tongue and ran his hands over Justin's.

"Then I'll say this. I'm impressed with the way you handled yourself. I saw another side of you I've never seen before. A war-ready side and I do admit, it's quite a turn on to see you fight" Wade cooed, a smirk gracing his face. Justin flushed slightly and stammered out a thank you before Wade pulled his face closer for a kiss. Justin hummed in bliss and Wade chuckled, pressing against Justin's back.

"I'd like nothing more than to ravish you right here, pup" Wade teased, his breath ghosting over Justin's ear. It twitched in response and Justin looked back at him. "I've never stopped you before" He badgered, pressing back against Wade. The Brit growled under his breath and bit one of Justin's ears. A shaky moan left the South African's lips and Wade's smirk grew.

"Masochist"

"You've trained me well."

In the other room, Heath sat up, the pajamas on him about three sizes too big. A blush rose to his face. Justin knew what he was doing. He'd given the redheaded wolf a pair of Wade's so he could be surrounded in the Dom's scent once more to calm down. Heath smiled, holding his hand out and laughing quietly because the sleeves were too long. He pressed them to his nose and took a deep breath, a few tears welling up in his eyes. Just being able to be with Wade and Justin was a surreal, yet welcome feeling. Heath leapt out of the bed, shuffling quickly over to the door. He wanted to run to Wade and Justin, to throw himself into their arms because damn it felt good to be home.

Heath took one step out of the bedroom and paused, his ears twitching and his tail curling.

Wade had Justin pinned on all fours, uttering pure filth into the darker hybrid's ear while running his hands over Justin's chest. Heath could see the buttons from Justin's night shirt a few feet away, and a warm pulse ran through his body at the realization that Wade had ripped the damn thing open. Pale fingers trailed down tan abs until Wade's hand disappeared into Justin's boxers. Justin jolted and his back arched slightly. He began murmuring in Afrikaans as Wade stroked him and the Brit licked his lips.

"You know it only turns me on more when you talk like that" he hummed, his other hand running down Justin's back, past his tail. Wade didn't even warn Justin before he pulled down his boxers until they were mid-thigh. Whisky green eyes trailed down and he chuckled.

"You're twitching down here. You really can't wait, can you?" He hummed. Justin whined, clutching his fists and arching even more to give Wade a better view.

"Y-You can't blame me when you're doing something like this" He huffed. Wade hummed and ran his fingers over Justin's lips. He eagerly took them in his mouth, wasting no time in getting them soaked. Wade growled under his breath and squeezed Justin's erection as he pulled his fingers free.

"Cheeky little shit, aren't ya?" He hummed, pushing two into Justin's tight heat. He cringed slightly but let his head drop to the floor as he panted.

"B-But what about Heath?"

"We need to be quick and get back to him. He still needs to recover"

Heath hadn't realized he wasn't breathing properly until the two began to speak of him. Even while they were caught up in this moment (and surprisingly, hadn't noticed him) they were concerned for him. The West Virginian swallowed thickly, clutching Wade's overgrown sleeves as his heart pounded loudly. He chewed on his lip and quietly shuffled over, grabbing Wade's hand that was on Justin's cock and pulling it towards him. Wade looked up in mild surprise.

"Heath-"

"I…I don't want to be haunted by it. I want to be able to enjoy you both." Heath stammered quietly. Wade had paused in his ministrations and Justin looked up, still panting from all the pent-up frustration and heat running through his body. Wade looked to his hand, tightly clasped between both of Heath's.

"Heath, you don't have to feel pressured into this. Justin and I know that you're not ready for sex yet-"Wade froze when he saw the utterly hopeless look Heath sent him. He raised Wade's hand to his neck.

"Do you feel that, Master? It's gone. They took it from me. They tried to erase you both from me. They've done…horrible, horrible things to us while we were there. But you saved me. I'm back where I belong…I want…no, I need you to claim me again. I won't feel right unless you do" He whispered, lowering his head. Wade watched a few tears fall from the redhead and drip onto his sleeves and he pulled his fingers from Justin. He lightly slapped the man's ass and sent him a calm look.

"You don't mind going last tonight, right?"

"How could I?"

"Good boy."

With that, Wade stood and pulled Heath against him, wiping away his tears and grinning down at him.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, sir"

"Then let's go." He chuckled as he hefted Heath up and walked him back into the room with Justin practically skipping after him. He dropped Heath to the bed and watched as he bounced slightly before settling in the covers. He looked up at Wade with wide, anxious eyes. Wade straddled him, running his large hands over Heath's chest while Justin crawled up to his side, peppering his pale face with kisses. Wade couldn't help but to smirk.

"Let's begin, shall we?"

(DS)

Drew panted and wobbled slightly, supporting himself on a wall before he stood straight again, a sword clutched tight in his hands. He was in Bret's gym, training with dummies. They all lay in pieces all over the floor. Sweat dripped from his brow and he snarled, throwing his sword down and letting out an angered roar as he kicked over one of them. There was a sigh from behind him and he was pulled back against a stronger body. His lips twitched downwards.

"Oi. Don't ya think that's enough, fella?"

"No. Not until I'm worthy of your touch again."

"Such a pain in me arse, ya are"

Sheamus turned Drew around and raised his head to stare into those heated, dark eyes.

"I know yer mad, I get it. But they're dead now. Yer home. I can't properly welcome ya back when yer in here ignoring me, now can I?" he questioned. Drew looked away and Sheamus pulled his head against his chest, kissing his forehead.

"Vent to me"

"I hate how helpless we all were. They took my fucking collar. My fucking collar! O'Shea, if only I were stronger, I would've slaughtered them all my damn self."

"I know. I'm glad you and the boys had enough strength to endure that by yourselves since AJ too was far gone" Sheamus told him with a sigh. Drew shook his head.

"We weren't alone, exactly."

"Wha…?"

"Aksana."

Sheamus stared at him for a moment, fiery brows pulled together in confusion. Drew scratched his arm, a nervous habit he'd developed whenever he had to tell Sheamus something he feared would anger him. "I won't get mad, tell me what she did" he told him softly. Drew smiled at him and nodded.

"She was different. They all did terrible things to us, except her. Yes…she did force us into sex a few times, but only when Taker was watching. Other times, she'd get the order, and as soon as she was left alone, she'd completely disregard it. She fed us, let us bathe from time to time, she even told us when you guys started killing Taker's followers. There was always something different about her. I'm sure if it weren't for her, we'd be dead or mindless like AJ was. She often came to us and gave us antidotes for the Devil's Blood when the effects were lingering much longer than they should have and she even saved Jeff's life when he went into shock from it a few times. I'm not saying this to change any hatred you have for her, but I'll speak for myself and the rest of the boys when I say we can't bring ourselves to hate Aksana. Especially now that she was only there to begin with because of a one-sided love with that blonde woman. I…I actually feel bad for her, to go through all that and be betrayed by the person she did it for" Drew was visibly upset as he spoke and Sheamus took note of it. He'd relay the message to the other Doms later.

"I see. Well then I'll thank her myself later. Come now, let's get to bed" He yawned, grabbing Drew's hand and dragging him along. Drew looked back to the mess in the gym.

"Um, O'Shea, shouldn't I clean that up?"

"Nah, its someone else's problem now"

(MJS)

"Are you comfy, baby bro? Do you want something to eat?"

"No, Matty."

"Are you sure? I'll go if you want. How about some skittles? Do you want skittles-"

Shannon's brow twitched and the man turned, kicking Matt square in the jaw and knocking him away from Jeff's bedside. Jeff sighed and rolled the opposite way, pulling his blankets over his head. Shannon exhaled and pulled Matt out of the room by his ear and closed the door.

"Shannon, that hurt!"

"Good! Fucking learn how to read the atmosphere, you asshole!" Shannon snapped, crossing his arms and looking down at Matt. The elder Hardy pouted and Shannon pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Hopeless idiot. Jeff needs to recover. You hovering in his damn face, talking about some Skittles won't help." Shannon grunted. Matt sat up and frowned, looking away with his arm propped up on his knee. Shannon watched him quietly before quietly kneeling down and grabbing his hand. "Making such a face…what's on your mind?" He questioned quietly, kissing the corner of Matt's lips. Matt squeezed his hand.

"Fucking Phil. What the fuck is he thinking? He needs to be here with Jeff!" Matt snarled. Shannon sighed and leaned closer, kissing Matt softly. "We're all taking this in different ways. Punk will come around." Shannon cooed gently, hugging Matt's head.

 _'I hope. For Jeff's sake'_ he thought.

In the other room, Jeff shuffled over to the dresser, looking down at his Hardy necklace. It broke when he was taken but it was fixed now. Jeff smiled and put it around his neck and made his way back to bed. He curled up in it and drifted off into a fitful sleep with Punk on his mind.

(JRE)

John barked out when Randy popped his shoulder back into place. Randy rolled his eyes. "Don't bitch now, I told your dumb ass to let me do it right when it happened" He hissed. John pouted and tilted his head back to look at Randy. "I was worried about our boy" He huffed. Randy clicked his tongue and Evan shuffled back into the room from his shower, drying his hair off.

He smiled when he removed his towel, pressing a kiss to John's shoulder before looking up at Randy. "Can I kiss you now, Master?" he questioned eagerly. Randy chuckled and ruffled his hair.

"I've rinsed all the access venom out. I'm no more venomous than I usually am now" Randy told him. Evan frowned.

"I don't think of you as venomous…"

Randy blinked, seeing Evan getting upset. "Hey! Don't cry about it, I'm sorry. Just kiss me" Randy grunted. Evan's face lit up and he all but tackled Randy to the bed, smothering the taller hybrid with kisses. Randy could barely keep up with them and John watched on in amusement, watching Evan's tail sway. Jealous, he plucked Evan from Randy and placed him in his lap.

Evan's face went red and he looked back. "Sir?" He questioned. John placed his hands on Evan's hips and kissed just below the Sub's eye. Randy watched John, already knowing where this was headed.

"Hey Randy, we brought Evan's old café costume, right?"

"Eh?" Evan blinked.

"We did."

"Good," John smiled devilishly, scraping his teeth against Evan's neck. Evan shivered and John smirked against his neck. "I say we put it on him. The panties too"

"Eh?!"

(*Divas*)

Natalya tied her hair up and sank down in the huge bath tub in her bathroom. She'd thought it was big enough to be considered a hot tub (since it could hold all of her girls and more) but if Bret wanted to call it a normal tub, she'd humor him.

She idly ran her hands through the water, bringing it up and over her shoulders to ease her tired muscles. She heard the door creak and didn't even blink as her girls filed into the large tub, no one saying a word.

AJ had sat right beside her, uncaring that her long hair was getting wet as she placed her head on Natalya's bosom. JoJo did the same on her other side, but she was the first to break the silence when a small hiccup left her lips, followed by a broken sob.

_"E-Eva…" ___

__Natalya closed her eyes and rubbed JoJo's head as she sobbed. Across the tub, Kaitlyn and Rosa rubbed Naomi's arms to comfort her. She was crying also, but she lowered her eyes, letting the salty tears fall into the warm, bubbly water. Alicia sat a bit away from them, her head on Michelle's shoulder. She held her hand under the water._ _

__"We will have a proper funeral for them in a week's time. For the time being, I want to say I'm proud of you girls. I'm glad you're okay" Natalya cooed into the room. JoJo only sobbed harder and even AJ began to cry from the guilt. Natalya didn't say another word as they bathed. Once it was time to get out, Natalya gently pulled AJ and JoJo off of her breasts and smiled gently at them both, giving each of them a passionate kiss before exiting first, leaving the room in a robe. The Divas got out one by one minutes after._ _

__(30 minutes later)_ _

__Natalya was leaning on the railing of her balcony in nothing more than a midriff and a pair of boxer shorts when AJ appeared at her side in a gust of wind. Natalya glanced over, seeing the look on her Sub's face and taking a seat in one of the chairs on the balcony._ _

__"What's wrong?" she questioned calmly. AJ whimpered and made her way over to the blonde, smoothly throwing both her legs over Natalya with practiced ease. Natalya looked up at the smaller woman and AJ sniffled quietly._ _

__"How can you accept me like this? I hurt you...in every way. I betrayed you…I almost killed you"_ _

__"I can't die for good"_ _

__"I don't ever want to be one of the people that takes away one of your lives!"_ _

__Natalya blinked in surprise at AJ's shout and the woman trembled in her lap. "Mistress…" She whispered, eyes looking down to the scar on Natalya's stomach. She bit her lip and gently ran her fingers over the scarred skin._ _

__"I did this."_ _

__"I can heal it"_ _

__"Why haven't you, then?"_ _

__Natalya looked away and AJ shook once more. "You didn't heal it because you tortured yourself with what I did. You blamed yourself for something that was my fault. I don't deserve you. I-"_ _

__Something within Natalya snapped and the woman all but threw AJ from her lap. The weasel landed on the balcony floor with a hard thump and she cried out in pain from landing on her tail. Natalya pounced on her and wrapped one of her hands around AJ's neck, squeezing tight and watching as the woman below her gasped. AJ didn't struggle in the slightest, in fact, her face turned red and she squirmed below Natalya. She looked up at Natalya with a look the woman was all too familiar with. A small shadow cast over Natalya's eyes as she leaned down to AJ's ear._ _

__"Don't you ever tell me some bullshit like that. Got it? _Got it_?!" Natalya snapped, squeezing tighter. A moan slipped out of AJ's lips and she nodded helplessly. Natalya let her neck go and grabbed a handful of her raven locks, pulling AJ into a smoldering kiss. AJ practically melted beneath her as Natalya ravished every inch of her mouth and pulled away just as she was beginning to _really_ enjoy it. AJ whimpered and tried to lean up to continue the kiss but Natalya forced her back down with a sharp tug of her hair. AJ panted and sent Natalya another wanton look._ _

__"Mistress please, I need you…"_ _

__"You wanted me to punish you, right? Then it starts here. Go back into the room with the Divas. And you better not touch yourself" she ordered. AJ nodded reluctantly and got up; shuffling away after Natalya placed a hard slap to her ass. Natalya watched her go and licked her lips._ _

__"Almost lost it there, glad I caught myself" Natalya muttered to herself. She was alone in her own thoughts until she heard her door open once more. She hummed and looked up._ _

__"AJ what did I say-"She paused when she saw Michelle there instead. Natalya stood and motioned for Michelle to sit as she herself leaned on the balcony railing._ _

__"What's bothering you?"_ _

__"Why did you let that woman live? Why is she here?" She questioned flatly. Natalya clicked her tongue._ _

__"Don't you think, that in a way, she's just as damaged as the rest of us?" She questioned. Michelle's brows furrowed and Natalya turned to face her._ _

__"I'm not asking any of you to forgive her. She's not a Diva. You can all hate her if you want, but there's something about this woman that the others didn't have. She's not a complete monster." She said, glancing back as she saw white from the corner of her eyes. Michelle and her both watched as Renee flew slowly into the woods with a book in hand._ _

__"She did everything she did because she was waiting for that one. In the end, it all blew up in her face. I think she's a victim just as much as the rest of us were, but her biggest enemy wasn't Taker. It was her love for Renee." She spoke gently, her voice carrying off into the wind. Michelle's face softened and she sighed._ _

__"I see where you're coming from. I apologize. I'm heading off to bed. Please excuse me" Michelle excused herself and Natalya stood alone again, the wind blowing her golden locks around. She hummed._ _

__"How long are you planning to stay up there? You'll catch a cold" she hummed into the wind. A chill brushed past her and Aksana was suddenly at her side. Nattie was beginning to see a pattern on how people liked to approach her._ _

__"You pity me."_ _

__"More or less"_ _

__Aksana laughed, jumping up and sitting on the railing. She wore a silk night gown Natalya had given her, but with the back out, the blonde could see the ugly scar that ran down her spine._ _

__"Why won't you let it heal?"_ _

__"Why didn't you let _yours_ heal?"_ _

__Natalya let out a small laugh and turned to go into her room. Aksana didn't glance back at her and she closed her eyes before she disappeared in an icy wind._ _

__(HS)_ _

__Kharma let out an exasperated sigh and looked to Hunter. His eyes were bloodshot and he stared at her with an unreadable expression._ _

__"I can't lose someone else, Kharma. I've already lost Steph and the kids"_ _

__It pained Kharma's heart. She brushed some of Shawn's hair out of his face. "I've extracted all the poison. Now it's up to him and his subconscious will to live if he makes it. I don't know how bad the poison spread through him." She told Hunter. Derrick and Johnny were quietly sitting in the room. The two exchanged a worried look and Hunter nodded slowly._ _

__"Can you…can you leave me with him? I'll call you if there's any problems" he told her, voice hoarse. She nodded and made her way to the door, leaving with both boys following her. Hunter flinched when the door slammed shut and looked down at Shawn._ _

__"You look already dead. Who told you you could worry me like this? Selfish fucker" Hunter growled, fresh tears falling from his eyes as he gently leaned over and pressed a kiss to Shawn's cold cheek. There was no response and he choked on a sob, forcing it back down. He stood, going to leave for a drink._ _

___"Paul, don't be so mean"_ _ _

__Hunter froze._ _

__Slowly, he turned and saw a small smile cross Shawn's face. His face lit up and he ran over to Shawn, hugging him tight. Shawn coughed weakly and Hunter loosened his grip._ _

__"Y-you-!"_ _

__"Paul, please. You can yell at me later. Can you just get in here? I'm cold" Shawn complained. Hunter forgot all about the Dom/Sub relationship between him and Shawn in that moment, and his heart fluttered at the other blonde using his real name. he crawled into the bed and wrapped Shawn tightly up in his arms._ _

__"I love you, Paul"_ _

__"I love you too. Worry me again like that and I'll kill you myself"_ _

__"*chuckle* Duly noted."_ _


	19. Chapter 19

Seth chewed on his lip as he got onto a motorcycle he'd borrowed from Justin. Dean and Roman were in a sports car behind him and they followed him as he made his way back to his hometown thanks to a GPS. He hadn't noticed how far Taker had took him until he looked at the distance from Bret's mansion to his old residence. It took the trio about an hour and a half until Seth finally saw the hazard that was his old home. He kicked down the kickstand and killed the engine before waiting for Dean and Roman to exit the car. The two did so quietly and the two toned cat quietly made his way forward, his ears flattened against his head and his tail curled around his own waist. Neither of his Doms said a word.

He touched the door knob, flinching at the loud creek that sounded as it came right open. He entered and cringed at the amount of damage in the home. Shattered furniture littered the floors and Seth frowned at the sight of blood splatter all in the living room. Memories of that night flooded his mind and he stumbled slightly. Dean placed his hands on his shoulders to steady him and Seth thanked him hollowly before he walked out of his grip. There was moss and mushrooms growing by the window and some of the floor boards had been ripped up, as if someone was looking for something in the house.

Seth came to a stop right before the fireplace, his eyes downcast. He could see a smeared bloody handprint on the mantle. Tears welled up in his eyes but he willed them away as he quickly turned to the stairs. His ears twitched as he heard something creak from above. Snarling, he pulled out both his pistols and all but sprinted upstairs. Surprisingly enough, the stairs didn't make a sound as he disappeared up them. Dean startled and Roman's jaw clenched as he himself ran up the stairs too, a set of knives drawn. Dean spat out a curse and followed noisily behind them.

When they reached the sound, they saw Seth standing above someone who was sitting in the middle of one of the rooms. His pistol was pressed to the back of their head.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't pull the trigger. What are you doing in my home?" He snarled. A small gasp left the lips of the person and they turned. Dean and Roman saw that it was a raven-haired woman. Her makeup had ran down her cheeks, but she stared up at Seth with wide eyes. He froze and instantly lowered his weapons.

"S-Seth? Is it really you?" She whispered, standing up slowly. Seth's lips parted and the woman threw herself into his arms. Seth threw his pistols down and embraced her tight, burying his face in her hair. She shook as she held onto him, fingers clutching his clothes tight.

"I-I thought you were dead! T-The police weren't able to investigate here for a while because of some kind of magic interference and they found your car in the woods wrecked and abandoned, covered in blood…I-I'm so glad you survived" She whispered, stroking his cheek. He smiled weakly and her eyes fell to the black collar around his neck. "Seth? What is this?" She questioned, brushing her fingers over the tag. Seth opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a yelp as Dean pulled him back against his chest.

The auburn placed his chin on Seth's shoulder and wrapped his arms possessively around his waist. He stared at Leighla with a fierce look.

"That's his collar. He belongs to us" He snapped. Seth blinked in surprise and Leighla took his look as one of fear and hissed, swinging and punching Dean right in the nose. The pale man barked out a curse and Leighla put Seth behind her and kicked Dean in the chest before pouncing on him, and holding a blade to his throat.

"You! You're the people who took him, aren't you?! Did you kill them too? I'll kill you!" She hissed. Dean grabbed her hips and threw her clean off of him. She flipped and landed on her feet and one of her hands, crouching and sending Dean a fiery look. He stood and wiped blood from his nose.

"You'd better be able to do it if you've got the balls to hit me in the face, girl" He hissed, cracking his knuckles. Leighla roared and lunged at him again just as Dean swung.

_"Stop!"_

Dean and Leighla blinked when suddenly they weren't moving anymore. Roman had appeared between them without a sound, catching Dean's fist and Leighla's wrist, holding them both high above their heads. Leighla struggled, since he was so much taller than her, she had to stand on her tip toes while Dean snarled at Roman. The Samoan man sent him a glare before he let them both go.

"Can you once just think with your head and not jump into a fight at every chance you get?"

" _Me?!_ She's the one that attacked me!"

"We're two intimidating men, both over 6 feet tall, wearing fucking SWAT gear, that came to the abandoned house of the murder scene of her friend. Who, once she finally sees again, is collared and has a pale little bitch hanging off him claiming ownership of said friend. Don't you think in her shoes _we_ sound like the ones who did this?"

"But he does belong to us…"

"Don't you think you could've avoided a conflict if you let Seth handle the explanation? He is the one who knows her, after all."

"…Fuck off, Roman."

"Love you too, Dean"

Leighla's head went back and forth between the two men before she looked over at Seth, who was idly playing with his collar, eyes downcast. She put the knife on the floor and quietly made her way around the arguing men to her old friend.

"Seth? Can you tell me what's going on?" She questioned. Seth let out a breath and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Go sit down, I'll explain everything" He muttered, steering her to a chair near a dresser in the room. She sat down heavily and stared up at him with doe eyes. He let out a sigh and began to explain everything that had happened.

(45 minutes later)

"Taker was killed by some other crazy guy that has this obscene amount of power now. And it's a bit late, but I wanted to save this for last, this is Roman Reigns, this is Dean Ambrose, and they are my Dominants. Sirs, this is Leighla, my best friend." Seth finally finished. He hadn't noticed he had been clenching his fists so tight until Dean bumped against his right side and uncurled his fist to hold his hand. Leighla watched how Seth visibly relaxed and placed his hand on Dean's shoulder, staring at the floor. She nodded and stood up.

"You've been through a hell of an ordeal…but they seem to make you happy, so I'm happy. Come with me, I'll take you to the cemetery where they buried your family and then you should come to my house. I managed to save some of the family's belongings. Come on" She urged, quickly leaving the room. Roman nudged Seth forward and quietly closed the door behind him.

(Hart Dynasty)

Heath awoke tightly curled against Wade's side. He keened and nuzzled his face against Wade's pectoral, startling slightly when he heard the Brit chuckle deeply from above. He looked up and Wade smirked down at him, tilting his face up to kiss his already kiss-bruised lips. Heath responded instantly, wrapping his arms around Wade's neck. The larger wolf sat up with him in his lap and ruffled his hair.

"Relax. We've got plenty of time for that. We need breakfast" He told him. Heath pouted and looked to his right, seeing Justin sleeping soundly, although his arm and leg was thrown haphazardly over the edge of the bed. Wade followed his gaze and smiled, pressing a single, firm slap to Justin's ass to get him to wake up. Justin yelped and all but threw himself from the bed. Wade and Heath tilted their heads back and laughed loudly, despite the flustered South African wolf on the floor.

(~)

Sheamus woke up when he felt a pressure on his stomach. He grunted and opened his eyes, looking up at Drew. The Scot was straddling him, pale fingers glazing over the pale scars that littered Sheamus' chest. He watched how a small smile ghosted Drew's face and put his hands on Drew's hips. The Scottish cat looked up and Sheamus beckoned him forward by angling his head up. Drew leaned forward and placed one of his hands by the side of Sheamus' head, a curtain of his chestnut hair falling between them.

Sheamus removed one of the hands that was on Drew's hips and brushed back some of his hair before grabbing his face and pulling him down for a kiss. Drew hummed in appreciation and relaxed his whole body, his tail swaying slightly. Sheamus bit down on his lip, demanding entrance that Drew didn't immediately give him. He smirked against Sheamus' lips, purposely defying him. The Great White knew this all too well, and he gripped Drew's hips with enough force to bruise before he tangled his large hands in Drew's locks and pulled back roughly. Drew gasped sharply and Sheamus took this opportunity to slam their lips together once again, dominating the kiss. Drew kissed back just as feverishly and Sheamus flipped them over, pinning him to the bed.

"Damn it feels good to do that again" He commented, licking his lips at the disheveled look the usually picture-perfect Scot had. Drew purred and angled his hips up, grinding up against the larger man. "We could always get to breakfast a bit late" He suggested. Sheamus chuckled.

"I agree"

(~)

JoJo shifted uncomfortably in the bed and a whimper slipped past her lips. AJ's ears twitched at the sound and she sat up, rubbing her eye and looking over to her fellow Diva. The teen was clinging onto a stuffed tiger for dear life. AJ could smell Eva's scent all over it. She sighed and plucked the object carefully from JoJo's grasp and nudged her until she was awake.

Jo stared at her with watery eyes and AJ smiled sadly, extending a hand to her. Luckily they slept on one end of the crowded bed, so they could get out without disturbing the other Divas. JoJo took it hesitantly and allowed AJ to pull her into the bathroom. AJ closed the door quietly and turned back to Jo.

"I'm sorry" She started, looking down at the girl. JoJo's brows furrowed and AJ wiped her eyes. "You hate me, don't you? If it weren't for me, Mistress wouldn't have asked for your help in going to Taker's place and Eva would still be here." She told her quietly. A dark look crossed the rabbit's face and AJ looked away, a sad smile on her face.

"You can hit me if you want. I want you all to hate me. I don't deserve to be welcomed back after what I've done. You can hate me." She continued. JoJo stared at her with no expression at first but slowly; she wrapped her arms around AJ's torso and put her head on the slightly taller woman's chest.

"I love Eva. The only person I love more than her is Mistress Nattie, so I won't lie and say I'm not torn up right now. Eva was all I had for a long time. We all knew what we were getting into when we went in there. So, even though I miss her, I won't blame you for this. It could've easily been any one of us and the fact that the majority of us got out alive is a miracle. We're all in this together. I'm glad we we're able to get to you in time" She responded. AJ stood there in shock for a moment before she slowly returned the hug.

A loud knocking startled them both.

"Yo! Get outta the bathroom, I need to get ready!" Rosa hissed.

"Don't let Rosa in, she's going to take too long!" Kaitlyn cried.

"Open the door. I want to take a shower." Michelle huffed.

JoJo and AJ looked up at the door before they exchanged a look. A smile came to both of their faces and they opened the door, ducking out of the way as the other Divas tried to force their way in.

(~)

"We're missing some people, aren't we?" Bret questioned once everyone had assembled for breakfast. Natalya did a small survey and nodded, wiping some crumbs off her lips.

"Dean and Roman took Seth to his hometown, Kharma is up in the medical wing checking on Shawn and Hunter and Derrick and Johnny are with her, and I'm not sure where Punk, Aksana, or Renee are" She told him. She saw Jeff's face fall from the corner of her vision and all of her Divas stiffened at the very mention of Aksana's name.

"Excuse me" Jeff muttered, pushing back his chair, taking a piece of toast, and running out of the door. Matt pushed his chair back as well but Natalya held her arm out as he tried to dash by. He looked down at her and she shook her head.

"Let him go. This is something he and Punk need to work out"

"He's my brother!"

"Did he ask you for his help?"

"…"

Natalya sighed and sat up, touching his arm gently. His muscles flexed on their own under her warmth and she sent him a sympathetic smile. "Let Jeffery go through this on his own. He knows he can come to you, and he will if he needs to, but you can't hold his hand through this" She told him bluntly. Matt sighed and nodded, walking back over and sitting down beside Shannon. The blonde frowned and Matt just ate quietly. Natalya turned to sit back down and she happened to look out the window, seeing Jeff scurrying into the woods that surrounded the Hart Dynasty.

She closed her eyes and took a seat.

(~)

Renee sat on a cliff, her feet dangling off the side. She was dangerously close to the edge, her hands on the very edge, lightly holding on. She could hear footsteps approaching, but made no move.

"You shouldn't sit so close to the edge like that."

"If I were to fall, I can catch myself. I have six more wings than you have"

"Touché"

Renee looked over her shoulder, watching Punk quietly. "Why are you here? Isn't someone looking for you?" She questioned. Punk clicked his tongue. "I could say the same for you" He shot back. Renee looked back out over the horizon.

"I do not wish to taint myself with her impurity"

"And I don't want to be found"

Renee let a small smile cross her face and Punk took a seat beside her, one leg thrown over the edge and the other pulled up against his chest. They sat in silence.

From the trees, Aksana watched on emotionlessly, her arms crossed. Faust was draped over her neck in his miniature form, and all 8 heads hissed. She gently petted his head with her finger and turned away from the scene, holding back tears.

"Relax, Faust. We know when we are not wanted." She muttered, leaping from the tree and going to rush away when she slammed into someone else, knocking them down. She looked down and saw Jeff rubbing his forehead. He looked up and blinked in surprise.

"Aksana?"

She helped him up and looked over her shoulder. "I do not think you should continue this way" She warned. Jeff frowned and stepped around her, walking a bit further. He stopped short when he saw Renee and Punk. The two weren't talking, but at this point, she had her head on his shoulder and he had his arm around her waist. It was very intimate.

Jeff felt like he'd been kicked in the chest.

Aksana slowly walked up to his side and grabbed his hand, dragging him back into the forest so they wouldn't see them. Jeff followed her without a fight, his undyed, blonde locks falling over his face as he kept his head down. He stopped suddenly and she stopped as well, looking back at him. His shoulders shook and she could tell he was about to cry. She sighed and dropped Faust to the floor. He grew until he was big enough to hold both of them on one of his heads. Two of them lowered down and Aksana nudged Jeff forward.

"Go on. Faust will take us back to the mansion" She told him. Jeff quietly got on one of the Serpent's heads while Aksana got on the other one. Faust began the journey back from memory and scent.

Once at the door, both of them got off and Faust went back to his smallest size, wrapping himself around Aksana's wrist. "Will you be alright?" she inquired as Jeff made his way past her. Jeff looked down for a moment before shaking his head and continuing on quietly.

Aksana stood in the corridor, watching him go before she shook her head and headed in the opposite direction.

(1 Week Later)

"Uncle Bret, why are we all here?" Natalya questioned. Bret had ordered that they all suddenly come to the larger portion of the Dungeon. They called it the Coliseum. Bret rubbed his jaw and stood with his hands clasped behind his back.

"I'll commend you for your work on the Taker mission. But this isn't down time. The reality is, there's someone much stronger out there with Taker's powers tacked onto their own. He has his own followers, and he has also taken in a few of the surviving ones from Taker. He has an advantage. Those followers knows nearly all of you as well as your strengths and weaknesses. I want to run a test to see how well you all can adapt. As like before, I need all of the Subs first. I'm still not confident in all of your leadership skills without your Doms. Come." He ordered. The Subs muttered amongst themselves but did as told. Bret rubbed his jaw. "For the sake of this, Renee, Aksana, come. Shawn, you're much too hurt, you stay up with Hunter" He added.

Renee stared at him and Aksana jumped from the railing, landing in the lower level with everyone else. The Divas bristled.

"Bret, she's not one of us! Why does she need to be here?!" Rosa snapped. Bret didn't respond and a chill passed through all of them.

He held his hand out and all of their eyes grew as they stared at their own collars in his hand. Their hands flew up to their necks and wrists and panic set in. Bret continued on with a calm monotone as he placed all of them in a box and closed it.

"I figured you all were taking it too easy so this is what's on the line. Your collars. I know some of you have yet to be re-collared," he looked towards Heath, Jeff, Drew, and Shannon as he said this. "-But perhaps I have the ones your Doms were planning on giving you in this box already. I've brought in some people to help. It's simple. You knock them out and get to the box, you win. You lose if all of you cannot fight or if one of you dies" He stated and he turned his back to them, walking away.

Seth gripped his pistols with lightning speed and fired off multiple shots. All of them were blocked by a sudden force standing between Bret and the Subs.

Adam rolled his neck and flexed his fingers as Chris and Jay stood at his side. Jimmy and Jey stood beside them warily and a few women were there along with Tyson and David.

"What are Beth, Lita, and Trish doing here?" Michelle gasped. Bret took his spot on the other side of the Coliseum. Beth cracked her knuckles. "Bret called us in to help train you all combat-wise." She hummed. Rosa withered slightly and backed away.

"We can't beat them! Beth alone could break us in half!" She protested. Kaitlyn gripped her sword tightly, her teeth bared. "Rosa! Get it together! Our collars are on the line!" She barked. Rosa flinched and gently touched her neck where her collar was supposed to be. She felt lighter without it and she hated it. Rosa grabbed her bat and nodded.

"Let's do this"

The Divas charged first and Aksana frowned. "You need to make up a strategy! You cannot run into battle like that-"

"Shut up! You don't have a collar so this doesn't affect you!" Michelle barked. Aksana recoiled for a moment, her brows knitted upwards. She watched the women charge headfirst into the fray and instantly get knocked right back down. She looked across from them to see Evan and Seth trying to get past Chris.

The Canadian rolled his eyes and his fingers flexed. Evan was swinging at him, too upset to think properly. Chris ducked under one of the swings and grabbed onto his staff, using all of his body weight to pull it upwards. It flew out of Evan's hands and hit him in the face, nearly breaking his nose. The cat hissed loudly as blood rushed from his nose.

From above, Randy and John gripped the railing tightly, grinding their teeth together.

Seth tried to sneak an attack in, but there was a blur from beside him and he was suddenly being picked up effortlessly. He struggled and looked down, seeing the blonde woman before that the Divas called "Beth". The woman smiled sweetly at him and tossed him up. Before he hit the ground, she twisted her whole body around and kicked him in the chest, making him fly into Justin, who had his hands full with Adam. The South African wolf and the two toned cat collapsed into a pile on the floor and Seth looked up in shock.

"Bret never said you couldn't hit us girls. We're all about equality, aren't we, ladies?" Beth questioned in a tone that betrayed the wicked strength she had. Lita kicked Jeff in the face and sidestepped, letting Adam run past her and spear Kaitlyn into a wall. Her sword clattered to the floor and Adam stuffed his hands in his pockets, walking back to the group.

"If you can't beat us, you don't get your collars back" Chris said simply.

Seth ground his teeth together and Renee noticed his distress. "Do you wish for my assistance?" She questioned. Seth glanced back at her before unconsciously touching his neck. He shook his head. "I'll be just fine. We need to approach this in a smart manner," He paused to pull his scythe off of his back and he looked down to Evan. The smaller cat noticed this and grabbed his bo staff.

"Now, move!" Seth barked. He and Evan bolted at the same time and Jimmy and Jey were the ones to move first to counter. Seth swept Jimmy's foot and drew one of his pistols, violently pistol whipping him. Jimmy barked out and fell to one knee, blood running down his face. Across from Seth, Evan was having a bit more difficulty, spinning his staff and trying to get a good hit on Jey. The Samoan man dodged the majority of them until Evan decided to use one of his little tricks.

He hissed loudly and slammed his staff to the floor, drawing attention away from himself as Jey looked down. When he did, Evan swung upwards with all his strength and cracked Jey hard in the face. His head went back and Evan was going to rush him when he was yanked back by his shirt. He choked and fell back hard when Trish punched him hard in the middle of his chest. He hit the floor and spasamed for a moment. Seth managed to get her away from Evan and he picked him up, slowly backing away from them with his brows furrowed.

"That all you got?" Beth questioned, arms crossed. AJ suddenly screamed from the center of the group and disappeared in a gust of wind. Beth glanced around before she sidestepped, dodging the first sickle AJ threw at her. AJ was fast to throw the next one and she swung her head around to throw the last sickle, which she held between her fangs. Beth dodged them all and before AJ could pull them back, Lita grabbed hold of them, yanking forward and making AJ stumble closer to Beth. She hardly had the time to react before Beth punched her in the stomach. AJ coughed violently and Beth ducked out of the way as Lita swung the chains-which were attached to AJ still-and she tossed the small weasel around effortlessly before letting go. AJ went flying into the rest of the group, knocking down Alicia and Naomi.

Beth shook her head. "I don't get how you all survived in there with Taker. You're weak, you have no coordination, no teamwork, it's cringe worthy. I would expect you all to be fighting tooth and nail with your collars on the line. I don't think you get it," She paused, a blue fire swirling around her and the opposing side. Her eyes gleamed and she pulled out a mace, slamming it into the ground. A huge plume of fire erupted from it and the group looked up to see a pale blue phoenix glaring at them. "You all will be released if you can't pass this" she continued, and the bird squawked angrily, spreading it's wings, fire erupting from them.

"She's a phoenix. We're doomed" Heath whined. Drew grabbed his sword with more force than needed and snarled. "I didn't survive that hell just to be uncollared. We will fight, dammit" He snarled. The rest of the Subs looked from him to the opposing group and steeled themselves, charging at once.

Beth sighed and crossed her arms, nodding towards them. "Nell, handle this" she ordered calmly. The bird screeched and spread it's wings, zooming over to them. They all tried to scramble in the way and ended up knocking into each other before the firebird reached them, scorching them all. They all cried out and collapsed.

From above, Natalya growled, her hands ablaze and melting the railing. She was going to jump over the railing and fight Beth herself. She may have been her friend but _no one_ was going to tell her to uncollar her girls. Before she could move, she felt her uncle's gaze on her. She turned and he shook his head. Slowly, Natalya stood down and looked at the scorched pile of Subs.

They all coughed weakly. "Are you guys okay?" JoJo questioned. She, Justin, Alicia, and Jeff all had fire elemental powers of some variation, so they were less damaged than the rest. "We're fine. Get up." Seth grunted, pushing Evan off of his lap. The smaller cat trembled, wiping his face. Drew and Shannon rose to their feet as well, but it was clear none of them were fit to fight anymore.

"I'll give you points for courage, but it's over" Trish sighed. Lita shook her head from beside her and Beth flicked her wrest, sending Nell towards them again. All of them flinched, waiting for the inevitable.

There was a sudden drop in temperature.

All of them looked up in surprise and saw Aksana standing between them and Nell, her whip drawn, wrapped tightly around the firebird's neck, seemingly not effected by the baby blue plumes. She roared and swung the whip, using all of her weight and strength to send Nell barreling towards the other side. They all jumped in surprise and scrambled to get out of the way. Aksana cracked her whip against the floor and stared fiercely at them.

"It isn't over yet." She hissed. A mist grew behind her and Faust materialized in his monstrous full-sized form. "Who is this chick?" Tyson questioned carefully. "She was Taker's follower. Nattie took her in for some reason but she's not a Sub. Why are you fighting? You have nothing to gain from this" Lita said, rolling her shoulder. Aksana clicked her tongue.

"You are right. I do not belong to any one, and I do not gain or lose anything from this. But, I will atone for my mistakes." She responded before looking up at Faust. All eight of his heads swayed for a moment before he lowered them all. She took a deep breath and drove her palm into the center of one of his heads. A shockwave pulsed through his and her bodies and everyone watched as that head split completely from the remainder of the creature, slithering over to the wounded Subs. Most of them backed away and Aksana raised a wall of solid ice to separate them from her and their opponents. Drew ran to the ice and pounded his fists on it.

"Are you crazy?! You can't take them all by yourself!" He shouted. Aksana cast a glance over her shoulder and smiled. "I will be fine. You all just heal up." She told them before she and the rest of Faust charged. The snake that was with the Subs began to glow a soft green light and they felt their burns, fatigue, and other injuries fade slowly. "She's healing us…" Naomi commented, rubbing her eye and smiling when she could see out of it once more.

On the other side, Aksana slid under a clothesline from David and threw her arm up, her whip curling around his neck. She swung it forward and watched him land none too gently on the floor, all sense knocked out of him. She stood and turned, catching a punch directly to the face from Lita. The woman pounced on her and grabbed her by the head, slamming it against the floor. Faust could feel the distress in his own heads and he jumped up, coming down hard on the floor and sending an array of sharp ice sickles flying in all directions. One of them hit Lita and the woman loosened her hold momentarily. It was enough for Aksana and she shoved her off before leaping away.

Alicia looked over to their left, spotting Renee sitting on the railing, between Dean and Punk. She was closer to the latter. Her temper flared and she stomped over to the area, looking up. "What the hell are you doing?! Go help Aksana!" She barked. Renee looked over to the battle and then shook her head. "I fight only when my Hounds need my assistance or I see fit. This isn't one of those times" She spoke slowly, but with an emotion Alicia couldn't read. It pissed her off none the less and she looked towards Punk, shaking her head before turning and walking away, looking through the ice and seeing Aksana getting tossed around by their opponents while Nell pecked viscously at Faust, flying away before he could inject her with his poison.

Aksana fell to her knees and Chris shook his head. "Shame. I thought you'd be able to help them. It was a good effort though" He raised his hand, a sword of light appearing. Aksana looked up through her curtain of hair, a stream of blood running into her eyes from getting kicked in the head by Trish. Chris swung.

His sword caught onto something else entirely.

He looked down and saw AJ seated in Aksana's lap, the sickle in her mouth was stopping his blow. She swung her head and threw him off balance and as soon as he caught it again, Drew was at his side. He hissed and swung his broadsword, slashing Chris in the chest. Drew took care of him and Jay was about to assist when Shannon was suddenly below him. He stuck his tongue out at him before lunging upwards, his fist shrouded in black magic. He uppercutted Jay and laughed when the blonde bit his tongue.

"So they've finally gotten their groove back, huh?" Trish commented, dodging a few of Rosa's wild swings, and then catching Kaitlyn's blade as she tried to strike her. Lita was beside her, holding Alicia's jaws apart. The woman had turned into her Kyubii form and was trying to inflict a fatal wound. Lita laughed to herself and pushed Alicia back before punching her in the snout with enough force to stun the canine. "I prefer this over what they were doing before" She hummed. She turned to go and help Trish when a tail wapped around her midsection. Lita gasped and Alicia threw her across the room, where Michelle was waiting. The woman drew her rapier and bared her teeth. "Lita, I love you, but I won't let you stand in my way!" She hissed, striking Lita far faster than the naked eye could see. Lita landed on her feet and went to counter but her body shut down completely and she collapsed immediately. Michelle picked her up and leaned her against a wall to keep her out of the way.

Jimmy and Jey were dealing with Seth and Evan once more, not falling for Evan's floor trick any more. Evan stumbled back and Seth made sure he didn't fall. "What the hell do we do?!" Evan cried. Seth looked down at his weapon, a sudden smile coming to his face.

The Usos were prepared when the two cats lunged once more. Both of them slammed their feet to the ground, tearing up the earth below. Seth vaulted clean over an upturned piece of the concrete floor, diving towards Jey while Evan flipped over a different part of the ruined floor, swinging his staff downwards and using that to keep himself from falling. The metal clanged against the concrete and Evan kept up his momentum, lunging for Jimmy. Jimmy ducked the first swing, ready for Evan to hit the floor with his staff. The smaller man smirked slightly.

Jimmy's eyes grew when he heard a shift in metal. He looked up to see Evan wasn't holding his bo staff at all, rather, he had Seth's scythe. "Oh, shit" He gasped as Evan reverted it to the assault rifle form and fired off a powerful shot that sent them both flying, Jimmy from the actual impact and Evan from the recoil.

Jey saw this and looked towards his hands as he held back what he now knew was Evan's staff. A glimmer appeared in Seth's eyes and he wretched it out of Jey's grip, spinning it with skill and deadly flair before he brought it around, striking Jey in the back of the head with the staff before Seth brought it around, twirling the staff between his fingertips. Jey watched as Seth slammed the staff against his own knee, the metal splitting apart easily and revealing that it doubled as nun chucks. Seth's brought it around far faster than Jey could see and slammed it violently against the side of Jey's head, knocking him out cold.

Seth wiped his brow and made his way over to Evan, helping him up. The smaller cat let out a small sigh. "Jeez, this thing packs a punch. It's heavy too" He complained as they switched back weapons. Seth rolled his eyes and playfully bumped fists with Evan. "Don't be a Diva" he snickered. Evan pouted.

"Trish, watch out!" Adam snapped. Trish glanced away from Naomi and barely dodged a pair of flaming fans and chakrams flying at her. She flipped out of the way and watched as the two went flying back to JoJo and Justin, respectively. The two caught their weapons and JoJo shook her head, a teasing smile on her face. "Watch your back, Miss Stratus" She cooed.

Trish swung around and caught a pompom Naomi had thrown her way. She blinked in confusion and Naomi snapped her fingers, detonating it. Trish flew back and AJ appeared on a gust of wind, catching her so she didn't fly into a wall. She set her down next to Lita, Jimmy, Jey, and Chris.

David, Tyson, Adam, Jay, and Beth all blinked in surprise as the Subs stood together. "We might be a bit outnumbered" Adam muttered, rubbing his jaw. "Really? What the hell was your first clue?" Jay teased. Beth smiled, Nell hovering over her. "I'm glad you all figured it out, you've got to work together though. Adam, do the honors?" She hummed. Adam walked past her, winking in her direction before he brought both of his hands up.

"He's sapping our powers!" Heath whined, shivering from the feeling of his wind element being ripped from him. Aksana stood, all eight of Faust's heads now back on his body. She knew where this was going and she sprinted to the front of the group, pivoting and throwing her arms out just as Adam fired off a blast, using a medley of all of their own powers. Faust coiled around the Subs and Aksana took the hit directly to her back. She skidded forward slightly and then collapsed completely when the attack was over, the back of her clothes torn and exposing her already wounded back was far worse. She coughed violently, blood dribbling down her back as she struggled to stand. She stumbled, falling forward, when she was suddenly caught. She groaned and weakly raised her head.

AJ and Jeff was holding onto her, both of them smiling weakly. "Aksana, I think you've done enough" Jeff drawled politely. AJ nodded, rubbing Aksana's arm. "I owe you an apology, but for now, you need rest" she suggested. Aksana's vision was blurring. "N-No,I've got to…to help…to atone…" She muttered brokenly. AJ shook her head and Alicia padded up to them, picking Aksana up with one of her tails and running to the far end of the room, curling up and letting Aksana rest in her fur.

The remainder of the Subs looked on, determined. "Pretty sick trick you got there, Addy. Hope you don't mind if we borrow it" Jeff grunted, bringing his hands up in the same way that Adam did. His hands began to glow with a rainbow of colors and he braced himself, firing off a near identical shot. Beth cursed under her breath and sent Nell forward to take the brunt of the attack. Seeing this as a blind spot, Seth charged up another one of his power shots and fired it into the beam. It went through Nell and hit David head on. Tyson went to grab his weapon from his side when Justin and Heath were in front of him. "I can't let this drag on any longer" Justin growled. Heath had whipped up a tornado in both of his palms.

"You're in the way, naw mean?" Heath drawled, throwing them forward. Tyson was about to use his own wind to counter it when Justin blew a dark fire into both of the forces. Tyson got swept away by it and it dropped him a few meters away. Justin and Heath high-5ed.

"Shit!" Jay ducked one of Drew's swings, only to get cut in the leg by one of Kaitlyn's. He stumbled and Rosa saw the opportunity. "Swing!" She shouted, swinging with all of her strength and cracking him right in the ribcage. Jay completely collapsed and that left Adam and Beth.

Beth was holding her own against AJ, JoJo, and Shannon until she felt something wet on her arm. She looked down and saw there were multi-colored paint-like splotches on her arm. She frowned and then looked up suddenly, over to Jeff. He smiled and waved.

An explosion of pain ran throughout Beth's body, different elements coursing through her, conflicting with themselves and her own and causing chaos. She fell, her body jerking every once and a while on it's own. Adam looked around, frowning. "Fuck." He spat, trying to keep them all in his line of sight. Seth came forward quickly and literally threw his scythe forward at Adam. The man stumbled from the weight of it and Seth slammed his palm into the center of Adam's chest, summoning every ounce of the hellish power running through him and shocking him until he passed out. Seth grabbed his scythe once more and slowly made his way to Bret. The man stared at him with no expression and Seth rose his scythe to rest on his shoulder.

"You have something that belongs to us" He growled.

Bret glanced behind him, seeing the fighting spirit still alive in each and every one of them. He chuckled and opened the box without a fight.

"You all pass" He stated. They all relaxed, excitedly collecting their collars. Shannon's face lit up when he saw the brand new collar with Matt and Jeff's Hardy emblem on it. A sigh of relief left Drew's lips as he picked up the one with the celtic engravements on it. AJ cheered when she found her brand new black and pink collar. It had a spider on it. Heath had to take a moment to collect himself as Justin did the honors of putting his collar on. He promptly turned and cried into the wolf's arms. Jeff didn't show any emotion as he grabbed the collar he knew was Alicia's and began walking to the other side of the room, where Alicia was still protecting Aksana. The smiles left the Sub's faces just as fast as it had come when they realized Jeff hadn't had a collar in with theirs.

Jeff reached Alicia, petting her head gently before he presented the collar to her. Alicia carefully set Aksana aside and transformed back, smiling happily as she clipped her collar on. Jeff kneeled down to check on Aksana. She was in bad shape.

Their Doms all flooded into the area at once, and Natalya made a beeline to Aksana when she saw the pale woman trying to stand. Jeff was trying to stop her. "Aksana, stop it, you're bleeding everywhere! You shouldn't be moving" he protested. She pushed his hand away and wobbled slightly. "It's just a flesh wound. I will be fine. I can take more than this. I need to-"

"That's enough" Natalya suddenly said. Aksana looked up and the woman walked around her, pressing her hand to Aksana's bloody back, healing her wounds, scar and all. Aksana's eyes grew. "What are you doing?!" she cried. Natalya patted her head. "You've shown your worth. You don't have to work any harder for our sakes. I forgive you and I'm positive everyone else does too" she told her. Aksana looked like she was about to protest when Michelle came up to her. Aksana lowered her head, unable to look at the woman, knowing she had taken her eye. Michelle smiled and pulled Aksana forward for a hug. Aksana's eyes grew and AJ hugged her from the side, followed by Alicia. One by one, Natalya's Divas all added themselves to the embrace. Aksana stared at them all with a lost look, her face uncharacteristically pink. Natalya held her palm out, a soft pink plume appearing. She looked at Aksana and then nodded at her hand.

Aksana reached into the fire, surprised when it left her body tingling instead of burning like she was used to.

Her fingers curled around something and she plucked it out, starring at a leather choker with an 8-headed serpent pendant dangling from the center. Aksana's eyes grew and she looked up at Natalya.

"What…?"

"I've decided I prefer to have you as one of my girls than see you wandering around with that infuriating mopey look on your face."

Aksana blinked at her before she laughed softly, bowing her head down and putting the choker on. AJ cheered and the pale woman found herself crushed between the Divas once more.

Across from them, Seth yelped as Roman picked him up. "Sir!" He yelped, holding onto Roman's arms so he wouldn't fall. The Samoan man set him down and ruffled his hair, drawing a startled hiss from Seth. Dean came over and grinned at him. "That was a pretty cute bait-and-switch you did with Evan" he commented. Seth blushed and scratched his arm. "I noticed something with my Scythe. If you hold it just the right way, the blade will retract, but it won't go to being an assault rifle. Also, when it's like that, it's the same color and size as Evan's bo staff, but it's still heavy as hell. I had to somehow communicate to him that we needed to switch our weapons. Luckily, I knew Evan's staff split into a pair of nunchucks. That guy is a lot stronger than he looks to run around with my heavy ass scythe and still make it look like he's holding his own boo staff" Seth praised thoughtfully. Roman and Dean exchanged a look before both of them chuckled, pulling Seth away from the group.

"Jeff, how are ya holding up?"

Jeff glanced back when his best friend and brother approached him. Jeff smiled at them both, placing a kiss to each of their cheeks before smiling. "I'm fine. I'll be just fine" He muttered, glancing up in Punk's direction before leaving quietly


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content/Trigger warnings for the chapter: self-harm, mentions of non-con, character death/gore

"Do you know where Jeff's gone off to?" Seth questioned, glancing around the foyer with concern. Shannon sighed and looked away, scratching his arm. "Jeff left the room as soon as he realized Punk didn't get him a new collar" Shannon mumbled quietly so Matt wouldn't hear. The raven was scanning the foyer carefully, looking both confused and suspicious. Seth hissed out a curse and pivoted on his heel, ready to hunt Punk down and pistol whip the hell out of him when he was yanked back by his collar.

Choking, the two toned cat turned, eyes annoyed. He calmed down when he realized it was Dean who grabbed him and the taller hybrid rubbed his throat with his thumb as a sooth the slight pain he'd just caused Seth. Seth purred quietly and pressed closer to him, momentarily forgetting what he was supposed to be doing in the first place. Roman walked up to them with a portfolio in-hand.

"You can't run off butting into Punk and Jeff's affairs, kitten" he told him, slightly opening the portfolio and scanning the documents inside with interest. Seth frowned, pulling away from Dean unconsciously.

"Why not?"

"Because you're a Sub and it's not your place to" Shannon piped up quietly from his side. Seth's brows furrowed and Shannon sent him a sympathetic look. "I know it must be hard for you with all these new rules as an untrained Sub, but that's just the way it goes, you'll be okay though" the smaller two toned Sub grinned. Seth frowned slightly and both Roman and Dean stiffened when Shannon mentioned Seth's lack of proper training.

The two exchanged a look.

"I guess I can't help it, then." Seth yawned quietly, the fatigue from fighting finally catching up with him. Roman chuckled and took one of his mix matched ears between his fingers, rubbing it gently. "Tired?" he inquired. Seth leaned heavily on him and nodded, eyes dropping. "Yes, sir" he yawned. Roman turned, presenting his back to Seth and allowing the smaller man to crawl up onto him. Roman held him firmly and led the way to the room with Dean in tow.

Seth was already unconscious by time Roman got to the room, and the man gently set him down on the bed before beckoning Dean to follow him into the hallway so they could talk without waking Seth. Roman leaned against the wall and handed Dean the portfolio.

"What is this?"

"Reports from a scout Hunter has in Oregon. They spotted Antonio and Summer in one of the more populated towns…right before the whole thing was set ablaze and wiped off the map basically. Nothing is left in that town. No one escaped and anyone who got too close to help was killed on sight"

Dean's eyes narrowed slightly as he flipped through the photos of the charred remains of the townsfolk as well as a few blurry images of Summer and Antonio. "I don't get it, though. We're in Florida; Oregon is all the way across the damn country" he grunted. Roman nodded and ran a hand down his face.

"It's a tactic. To split us up. As it is, we're a big group. Even if he's more powerful than all of us, when we're this many in number, we'll be able to inconvenience him in whatever plans he has. But if he forces us to split up into groups spread all across the country, we're at the disadvantage." He explained. Dean crossed his arms.

"So we just don't split up"

"You know just like I do that will make everything so much worse. Beth and the others are already on their way to Oregon"

"But they just got here from New York!"

"They only came to test the Subs. Now that that's done, they're going to back up the scouts up in that area"

Dean growled quietly, flipping through the portfolio once more before he pushed the item back into Roman's hands and walked briskly into the room, muttering under his breath. Roman watched him go before he sighed, tucking the portfolio under his arm and walking back into their room.

*Jeff's Room*

The blonde sat on the floor, turning a knife absent-mindedly in his hand. The small blade was razor sharp and Jeff already had a few cuts just from turning it. His eyes fell half lidded when he looked upon the engraved X on the base of the blade.

- _"You know, I hate people like you"_

_That was the first thing he'd ever said to him. Punk looked down on him, sneering at the can of beer he had clutched in his hand. Jeff's lip curled._

_"I didn't fucking ask you. Fuck off"_

_Punk rolled his eyes and kicked the can clean out of Jeff's grip. The rainbow haired man glared at him and Punk smirked. "Let's go, you pathetic sack of shit. I'll show you why Straight Edge means I'm better than you" he cooed smoothly, grabbing a reluctant Jeff and dragging him off._ -

A tear slipped down his face and Jeff quickly wiped it away. Yes, that was how this started. With him and Punk hating each other with a burning passion. The Sub smiled sorrowfully, squeezing the blade in his palm, hissing at the sting of the fresh cut it caused. Faded emerald eyes drifted down and he opened his palm, watching the blood pool up around the blade before it dribbled to the floor.

- _"Jeff, will you wear my collar?"_

_"Of course I will, you saved my life, sir"_

_"I love you Jeff"_

_"I love you too, sir"_ -

Pale, trembling fingers wrapped around the now-soaked handle of the blade and Jeff stared at it for a long while, either unknowing or uncaring of the tears streaming down his face. Idly, he dragged the blade across his arm, drawing even more blood from his body. It smeared against his tattoos but he didn't, or rather, couldn't care.

- _"Paul! Paul let me go! Stop! You're hurting me! Punk! Master, help!" he screamed, thrashing against the cuffs Paul had put on him. Punk was struggling against a larger man Jeff didn't know. He kicked and spit wildly at Paul, trying to get his hands free enough to use his powers when the older man rolled his eyes, grabbing something out of his coat pocket and wrapping it tightly around Jeff's neck. He turned his head, growling and cursing. It was a collar. But why would the older man put a collar on him?_

_He found out immediately when a shock went through his body and he collapsed to the floor, his body twitching. He groaned in pain and Paul smirked, pressing the button again, sending another painful jolt through Jeff's body. The rainbow haired man whined weakly, the shocks leaving his muscles a mess. He couldn't fight any more if he'd tried. Punk saw this unfold and an inferno began to surround him._

_"Paul, you son of a bitch! Get away from him!"_

_"I'm afraid I can't do that. Taker told me to bring him the boy. He's gonna be his new toy. He should be honored."_

_Jeff whined and looked up at Punk, forcing himself to get his limbs to move, trying to crawl back to his Dom. Paul shook his head and followed him the few inches he managed to crawl. "Still disobedient. Taker will fix that" he stated before he slammed his foot onto the back of Jeff's head and everything went black."He said he'd protect you, didn't he? Now look where you are"_

_Jeff sobbed loudly. His wrists were rubbed raw from him thrashing to get out of the rope bindings he was put in. He stared up at Taker with an intense hatred, snarling._

_"You're an animal! Punk's going to come and I can't wait to watch him burn you to a fucking crisp" he snarled, spitting in Taker's direction. It landed on the man's cheek and he chuckled, slowly wiping it off before he backhanded the smaller man, smirking at the startled cry that left his mouth. Taker tilted his head to the side and forcefully lifted Jeff's chin, capturing his gaze._

_"By time he gets here, you'll hate him. He left you here, all alone. He wasn't strong enough to save you. And by time you see him again, he'll hate what you've become. You'll crave my touch, boy. You'll beg me for it. But for now, I say punishment is in order"_

_That was all the warning Jeff got before his legs were forcefully separated and a white hot pain shot through his body. He could feel himself tearing instantly and he screamed, thrashing and trying to get away from Taker and the burning pain he was causing him. He went absolutely nowhere and the Phenom leaned down to his ear._

_"This wouldn't be happening if he loved you, if he cared enough"_

_It went on for what to Jeff, felt like hours. He couldn't look away because Taker was holding his face, forcing him to watch. He couldn't move his arms more than a few centimeters away from the post they were tied to. Every time he closed his eyes, he was rewarded with a dry, violent thrust that was much harder than the ones he'd received when he kept them open. Taker wanted him to see and feel everything, all the while growling and whispering how it was Punk's fault._

_He left him there with blood and semen running down his trembling thighs and Jeff sobbed brokenly, trying to curl up in himself. Taker patted his cheek hard, smirking at the broken mess of a man he'd left. "He won't want you, Jeff. Just accept it"_ -

Jeff grabbed his hair, the knife clattering to the floor. He wanted to scream. Taker had been right. Jeff had managed to live through all of that, and Punk didn't want him. Who would want a filthy, drug addicted whore anyway?

- _When Taker had started giving him the Devil's Blood was when the struggling stopped. Not because Jeff had given in, no, the man hated Taker with all he had. But the drug-like liquid had given him a release he'd longed for. With it, he was able to slip into his own world, where he was okay and it was Punk on top of him, loving him instead of the monster it really was using him. In his own world, Jeff didn't register the pain, or the tearing. He could actually enjoy it and on multiple occasions, the man had reached his release, only to come down from the high and realize it was all a lie._

_That was when he began craving the Blood like nothing else._

_With that, he'd be able to be with Punk again and for a few hours, he could be happy in the hell he was trapped in._ -

Jeff stood suddenly, nearly knocking his chair over. He trembled, swaying as he walked. Slowly, he approached the door, turning the knob with some difficulty from the blood on his hands. He stuck his head out of his room, scanning the hallway. No one appeared to be awake, but with his door now open, the scent of blood would no doubt rouse someone from their sleep. Jeff ran his shaking hand through his blonde hair and down his face, not noticing he was smearing his blood on himself.

Quickly, he darted down the hall, wanting to get as far away as possible. He wasn't sure where he was going to go or if he'd come back. Punk didn't need him anymore. He had Renee.

The mere thought of those two being in each other's arms made Jeff want to scream. Who was she to come in and steal his Dom away like that without a care in the world? But Jeff somehow couldn't bring himself to hate her. She was an angel. She was pure. What was he?

Filthy, useless, a mistake.

Jeff grabbed his injured arms tightly, aggravating the cuts and making them bleed once more as he darted away towards town. Maybe he could stay the night somewhere in town. If he could find someone who wouldn't question where he'd gotten all of those wounds and the blood covering him.

When he finally got out of the forest that separated Bret's mansion from the town, he stopped, eyes wide.

Fire.

The town was on _fire._

*Ambrolleigns room*

Seth shot up, the scent of blood flooding his nose. He glanced around quickly before quietly pulling himself out of Roman and Dean's arms. He noticed a blur out of the corner of his eye when he passed the window and he looked out of it, watching Jeff disappear into the forest. His eyes grew and he spotted smoke in the distance.

"Fuck" he hissed, grabbing his pistols and a few rounds before quietly leaving the room. He had to stop his fellow Sub before he got hurt and he needed to figure out what that fire was about.

When he got to the foyer, he found Aksana and JoJo staring at the floor. Faust was around JoJo's neck, all of his heads hissing, forked tongues flicking outwards. Seth approached them, looking down. There was a blood trail. His eyes grew and Aksana quickly made her way to the door, finding the handle covered in blood as well.

"Jeff, no…shit! Faust, let's go!" she ordered. The serpent leapt off of JoJo's neck before slithering outside and growing to his full size. One of his heads lowered and the three jumped on and held on tight as he quickly made his way towards the forest.

"You smelled the blood too, yes?" Aksana questioned Seth. He nodded, making sure his pistols had bullets in both of them. He realized much too late that he'd left his scythe behind. Hopefully he wouldn't need it. JoJo pressed against both of them slightly, her ears facing opposite direction and her nose twitching. "The town is on fire, why?" she questioned. Aksana's eyes narrowed.

"Let's hope it's a normal fire and not something we can't handle"

*In town*

Jeff watched in horror as the people of the town tried to run to some sort of safety. There was a pale woman zooming around the town shredding them to bits by herself on the left side while a tattooed man and a filthy behemoth destroyed the other side. After they murdered the people, they teleported to an area closer to Jeff, dumping the bodies in a pile where another behemoth was devouring what was left of them, a sheep mask obscuring his eyes, but pulled up enough for him to use his mouth.

Jeff felt sick.

He took a step back, ready to turn and run when he slammed into the tattooed man from before. He was a handsome one, Jeff would give him that, but there was a savage glint in his eye and blood smeared on his face.

"And where are you going?" he questioned slowly. Jeff bit his lip before realizing he still had blood all over his arms. He was about to use the blood for his powers when the green eyed devil was gone in a flash, reappearing right in Jeff's space and catching him with a nasty clothesline. Jeff hit the grown hard and the wind was knocked out of him instantly. He wheezed weakly and the girl approached him as well with the other man.

"What did you find here, Corey?" she questioned, arms crossed. Corey clicked his tongue. "Looks like a lost one to me Paige" he responded before his eyes landed on Jeff's arms. He smirked.

"You just got here, but you're already covered in blood. You tried to off yourself, huh?" he questioned before cracking his tattooed knuckles. "Maybe we should be good Samaritans and do it for you. Luke, should we kill him ourselves or feed him to Erick?" he cooed. Jeff stared at him and the filthy man spoke.

"This one…he smells like the fallen Lord. He must've been one of his toys. Bray's been looking for one of them."

Both of the younger ones backed down and the man reached down, yanking Jeff up by his collar. He didn't even fight it. Luke seemed mildly pleased with that and he turned them, facing back to the town and to Bray, who seemingly speared out of nowhere.

"You poor little bird, did you do this to yourself?"

Jeff scoffed and looked away. "If you're gonna kill me, just do it. I don't care" he spat. Corey whistled from behind him and Paige arched a brow in mild shock. Bray chuckled.

"I'm not here to kill or hurt you, little bird. You've done that enough yourself. I'm here to offer you solace. Don't you want revenge on that accursed angel for taking everything from you? I can grant you the power to do that. You can rip every last feather from those pretty little wings before ripping them clean from her back and watching her scream. I can give you all of that, bird. Just follow the buzzards"

Jeff stared at him in shock. Bray only smiled, extending a hand out. He was not to be trusted. He was worse than Taker. He had to be. He was the one who _killed_ Taker.

That wasn't so bad, though.

Jeff stared at Bray's hand for the longest time. He took a step closer.

"Jeff, no!" Aksana screamed once she'd cleared the forest. Seth jumped from Faust's back, shooting to kill all five of their enemies. Bray didn't even glance in his direction, eyes still on Jeff and smiling as he used his free hand to catch the bullet. Luke grunted as the bullet wizzed past him and one actually did hit Erick, but the man didn't seem to care in the slightest. Paige sidestepped and Corey huffed, disappearing in a blur before he appeared beside Seth, slamming his fist into the two toned cat's midsection. Seth cried out and hit the ground hard and Corey shook his head, staring down at him.

"You don't remember us, do you, Seth?" Paige questioned from behind Corey, leaning on his back and looking down at Seth. The cat stared up at them, brows furrowed and fingers clutching his pistols tightly. Corey rolled his eyes. "Of course he doesn't. Taker fucked with his memories, altered them so he wouldn't remember" he grunted. Seth's eyes grew and Aksana let out a yell, her whip cracking hard against Corey's face.

Green eyes narrowed and he growled, grabbing her whip before she could retract it, snatching her forward. She yelped and he ducked down, allowing Paige to get the hit. She punched Aksana right in the throat and Corey flicked his wrist, sending Aksana flying back towards JoJo. The rabbit girl tried to run out of harm's way but Aksana's body came at her too fast and the woman slammed into her full-force. They both hit the ground and JoJo wheezed slightly.

Jeff looked back at them, eyes shining in confusion. Bray stepped forward, placing his hand on Jeff's head. "Do not worry about them, bird. They all have loving Doms and yours abandoned you. We won't kill them. Come with us." He cooed. Seth shot up, hitting Corey hard in the jaw with his pistol before aiming both of them at Bray, the weapons crackling with electric energy.

"Jeff, don't do it! We can talk this out! Come back with us" he requested. Jeff looked away and Seth noticed the blood smeared on his face. His eyes trailed down and he saw the deep cuts littering the man's arms and hands. His eyes softened.

"Oh, Jeff-"

" _Don't_ "

Seth recoiled when Jeff turned on him, eyes full of rage. "Don't pretend you know what it feels like! They didn't leave you! They loved you even after you were used! I don't have anything left and its all because of Taker and that fucking girl so don't you fucking stand there and try to patronize me, Seth!" he snarled. Seth's eyes grew and Corey growled from his left, punching Seth in the same spot where the two toned male had hit him with his pistol.

"That i>hurt, Seth" he snarled. Seth wobbled and Paige was at his side in the blink of an eye. "Sorry, Seth, but we can't let you interfere just yet. Soon, love. And you'll remember us all" she cooed before she swung her body around, kicking him hard in the back of his leg. Seth yelled in pain and felt something break in his leg as he collapsed.

"Shit! No!" Aksana hissed, her and JoJo getting back up. Aksana ran at the group once more, running at Bray while JoJo threw her fans, trying to get attention off of Aksana. Luke reached up and caught both of the fans, throwing them back. JoJo rolled out of the way, but when she did, Paige appeared at her side, just like she did with Seth and kicked her in the stomach, pinning her against a tree. JoJo coughed violently, feeling like something burst in her abdomen. Paige continued her assault until the girl coughed up blood, slumping down to the floor in pain.

Bray snapped his fingers. "Erick, handle this little hummingbird. She's getting a bit too busy for me" he muttered. Erick looked up from the pile of gore and limbs he was crouched over and an ungodly sound left his lips as he ran at Faust first, jumping up and slamming his fist into one of it's heads, driving it all the way to the ground and killing it instantly. Aksana screamed, her leg buckling from under her. She fell to the floor by Bray's feet and Luke grabbed her by the ankle, tossing her aside so she landed in Seth and JoJo's line of view. Erick swayed slightly as he walked up to her and Aksana hissed, trying to speed up the healing for her leg. She wasn't sure why it was healing so slowly.

Erick reached her and placed his boot beneath her arm, large fingers curling around her wrist. His bloody mouth remained in a straight line up until this point, when a savage smile spread across his face. He tugged at her arm, a psychotic giggle leaving his lips as Aksana squirmed from beneath him. "What are you doing?! Let me go! Stop!" she screamed. Erick's laughter rose and everyone watched as he ripped her arm clean from her body. JoJo and Seth's eyes grew and Aksana screamed bloody murder. Across from them, one of Faust's heads came off and the snake hissed in agony.

"I like the way you scream, Aksana. Erick, _paint_ " Bray ordered. Erick nodded enthusiastically and grabbed Aksana's removed arm with both hands, raising it high above his head. That maniac giggle returned as she looked up at him, blood and tears rolling down her face. Her eyes grew.

"N-No, please-"

" _Paint_ "

That was the first word and last word they'd hear him say for the night as he brought her arm down upon her with force, slamming it hard against her own head. Aksana screamed in pain and he continued clubbing the back of her head with her own arm until there was a sickening crunch, followed by silence.

JoJo trembled and Seth tried to scoot away, the fear and horror etched all over his face. Erick tilted his head, frowning like a child who'd realized they'd broken their toy. A growl left his throat and he resumed hitting Aksana's still body, her head caving in more and more until Luke placed a hand on his shoulder. Erick stopped immediately and Luke kicked Aksana's body over so both JoJo and Seth could see the extent of what Erick had done. The rabbit teen screamed and passed out and Seth looked away, squeezing his eyes shut.

Bray chuckled and grabbed Jeff's arm, pulling him forward. "Run home, kitten. Tell Daddy what I've done to you all today. Tell them they cannot stop me. And you, I want you to prepare yourself. I'll be back for you, and I suggest you not fight it, least the same thing that happened to your poor friend happens to someone who _won't come back_ " he cooed before he turned. Seth looked up weakly and watched them retreat into a dark corridor Bray had summoned. Paige and Corey were the last ones to get in, both of them looking back at him.

"You'll remember us, Seth. And you'll come back home"

With that, they were gone.

Seth cringed and weakly got to his feet. He tried not to stand on his broken leg and he hobbled over to Faust, who was still writhering in pain. He placed a hand on the snake's torso.

"Faust, I know you're in unimaginable pain, but I need you to take us back to the mansion" he requested gently. Faust hissed loudly and picked Seth up with one of it's healthy heads. He grabbed JoJo and Seth reached down, collecting Aksana's corpse and her arm and holding her securely, trying not to look down and think of the blood and gore getting on his clothes from it. The snake slithered back to the forest, making its way back to the mansion much slower than it left. When they got there, Seth fired off a few shots into the air to notify everyone inside of his presence.

The door swung open, and Matt, Natalya, and his own Doms stormed out. They stared at Faust's condition in shock. "Faust! Oh my god, where's Aksana?!" Alicia cried from the doorway. The Subs had crowded there, afraid and hesitant to leave the mansion. Faust lowered the head that was holding the three and nearly all of them screamed when they noticed how battered JoJo and Seth looked, but they broke into hysterics when they saw Aksana's body. Natalya rushed up to them, eyes wide. She was still clad in her evening wear as she took Aksana into her arms, the woman's blood smearing onto Natalya's breasts.

"What happened?" she questioned slowly, her hand glowing pink as she worked on putting Aksana's arm back. Michelle had come out of the mansion, taking JoJo into her arms and reviewing the damage to the teen while Dean and Roman crowded around Seth, noticing the dark bruise on his jaw, the way he held his abdomen, and the odd angle his leg was bent in.

"The smell of blood woke us up. It was Jeff. He left the mansion and we were going to get him. When we got to the town, it was on fire. Bray was there with a few of his followers. They did this. One of them…he…" Seth paused, a shaky breath leaving his lips. He hadn't realized he was crying until Dean wiped his eyes. He smiled thankfully at him.

"H-He ripped Aksana's arm off her body and beat her until her skull caved in. She hadn't healed at all…" he trailed off and Natalya frowned, picking the woman up and pressing her hand to Faust's body. The serpent shrunk and she picked him up as well. Michelle carried JoJo bridal style. "She's bleeding internally. We have to do something quickly" she told Natalya. The other blonde nodded and briskly made her way back into the mansion with Michelle in tow, ignoring the startled yelps and cries some of the Subs let out when she walked by with Aksana.

Matt ran up to Seth's side, kneeling down beside him with Shannon drifting in the background slightly. "Seth…where is my baby brother?" he questioned slowly. His voice was pained. He knew. Seth looked away, leaning closer to Roman and Dean for comfort so he could steel himself.

"He's with them. They took him" he told Matt. The older Hardy slammed his fist against the grass and let out a distressed cry and Shannon came to his side, wrapping his arms around Matt's body. Seth looked away from them, guilty.

He couldn't tell Matt the whole truth. He couldn't tell him that Jeff left willingly. That would destroy the man. Roman and Dean sensed Seth's hesitation and the two exchanged a look. Dean leaned down to his ear.

"You know the question I'm going to ask. Touch me for yes, touch Roman for no" he told him quietly so Matt wouldn't hear. Shannon, however did and he stared at Seth over Matt's shoulder. Seth bit his lip and gently brushed his fingers against Dean's arm. Shannon's eyes grew.

Jeff left.

He wasn't taken.

Shannon's brows furrowed for a moment before he bowed his head down, sobbing against Matt's arm. Seth whimpered. And Dean cursed quietly while Roman picked their injured Sub up. "Come inside, Matt." He told the older Hardy quietly before he carried Seth away. When he entered, Seth spotted Punk and Renee standing beside one another, her brows pinched up while Punk looked genuinely panicked. Seth caught his eye and the two toned man hissed, causing Roman to stop walking and stare down at him in confusion. Seth pointed at Punk with his eyes narrowed.

"He hurt himself. He trusted you. I may not get this Dom/Sub thing, but even I know you're a goddamn failure. If you didn't have your head so far up your own ass and stopped thinking with your boner for Renee, he'd still fucking be here, so don't you fucking stand there and act like this isn't your fault. If I could, I'd beat the hell out of you _for_ Jeff, because God knows he loves you too much to even voice his pain to you. He suffered alone and it's your fault." Seth spat with enough venom to make even Dean and Roman blink in surprise. Punk's mouth fell open and Renee's eyes grew. Seth shot her a nasty look and opened his mouth to rip into her as well when Roman shook his head.

"That's enough, Seth. Come on, I've got to get you to the infirmary so I can heal you" he told the two toned cat. Seth closed his mouth and scooted down slightly, turning his face against Roman's pectoral and saying nothing more as the Samoan man walked him to the infirmary. Dean hung back, crossing his arms and shaking his head at Punk. The older man sighed.

"You gonna tear into me too?"

"No, I think the kitten did a good job of that already. I just hope you're not that much of a jackass to think any of this is Jeff's fault. We as Doms have a job to protect our Subs. They've given themselves to us completely and it's the fucking least we can do. You left yours behind for some new piece. I'm not gonna get into that, but you could've just as easily brought Renee in with you and Jeff. Instead you fucked this shit up royally. And as for you, little miss purity," Dean turned his attention to the dirty blonde woman.

"I don't know much about you, but I do know that since you've came here, you've abandoned Aksana and didn't give two shits about Jeff's feelings. You're a strong ally, and besides all that, I like you, but I refuse to have some outsider come in here and do damage to the little clusterfuck of a family we have here. You two better figure this shit out because even though we're gonna do our best, finding Jeff is your responsibility." He grunted before he turned and strode away, not leaving any room for the two to argue or retort. Renee rubbed the back of her arm and Punk turned, quickly making his way upstairs. Renee followed him.

They followed the uncleaned trail of blood until Punk stopped at Jeff's room. Renee stepped away, silently telling him she would wait outside while the man walked into the room. He took in the scene, the blood on the handle, the small pool of blood on the floor next to the window, the strands of hair on the floor beside the blood, and the knife on the floor. The knife Punk himself had given Jeff years ago. Punk could piece it all together with what was left over.

Jeff probably had huddled on the floor, rocking back and forth as he cried and clutched at his hair. He did that when he got upset. He got quiet and tried not to be a bother to anyone. The man usually felt like it would be better if he didn't voice his concerns so no one would worry about him. It was up to outsiders to figure out what was wrong.

Punk froze.

"Fuck." He hissed, turning and slamming his fist into the wall beside the door. Renee flinched from the outside and Punk clutched his head. "Shit!" he growled, pacing. She watched him from the doorway and Punk suddenly stopped, picking up the open sketchbook at the foot of Jeff's bed. Punk opened it and felt his heart crack.

The first one was a drawing of them together, smiling and happy, with cracks around it. Punk flipped the page, the next was one was of him and Renee, in the troughs of passion while Jeff sat curled up and crying against the door. Renee entered the room at this point, looking over his shoulder. She frowned and Punk flipped to the last sketch.

It was Jeff, lying dead in a pool of crimson, looking haunted even in death. Jeff's messy handwriting was across the bottom of the page.

_'Living dead, living a lie_

_Don't struggle, just die'_

Everyone within earshot decided to ignore the pained roar that came from the room from one Phil Brooks.


	21. Chapter 21

_"Snakes are evil. Snakes symbolize darkness. They are impure"_

_Ice eyes narrowed. Aksana leered at the elders, and felt a hand squeeze in hers. She looked down and saw Renee staring up at her with wide, round eyes. The two little girls looked over at the Caretakers. Renee's "parents"._

_"That girl will be the downfall of our angel. We need to pull them apart from one another before Renee gets hurt"_

_Aksana looked away and Faust hissed from his perch on Renee's head. The little angel girl frowned and squeezed Aksana's hand._

_"We'll be okay, Aksana. We'll be best friends forever, they'll see"_

Sweat rolled down Nattie's forehead as she ran her hands over JoJo's abdomen. The teen was unconscious, leaning against Michelle as Natalya's flaming hands ran over her injuries. It took all of five minutes until her internal bleeding had stopped and all damages had been healed.

Then, she turned to Aksana's bed. Kharma had placed a cloth over the woman's head so the other occupants wouldn't have to look at the horrific injury. She looked up when Natalya sat beside her, the flames on her hands growing in size. She worked on healing the woman.

"Kharma, why hasn't she healed herself?"

"I believe those Wyatt Family members cast a healing block on the three of them when they attacked, which makes it hard for us to heal them." The Witch sighed, bringing her own hands up to aid Natalya in healing her Sub. Natalya noticed the absence of the three felines.

"Shit. So that means Seth's probably in excruciating pain since Roman's healing powers still cause pain" she muttered. Kharma nodded.

"Poor thing"

*Ambrolleigns Room*

"GAH!"

"Seth, I know it hurts, but I need you to stop pulling my hair"

"I-I'm sorry, sir, but it h-hurts-FUCK!"

Dean rolled his eyes and grabbed Seth's hands, yanking them out of Roman's hair and pinning him to the bed while Roman worked on healing his broken leg. Seth cried out, kicking uncontrollably with his good leg and kicking Roman dead in the thigh. The Samoan liger growled and paused, leaning down so he could capture Seth's eye.

" _Stop. Moving._ "

Seth whimpered and closed his eyes, willing himself not to move through the pain. Roman finished soon and Seth let out a coo of relief, cracking his eyes open. Roman caressed his cheek and Seth mewled, leaning in to the touch. Dean continued to hold on to his wrists and he leaned down, kissing Seth upside down. The two toned man licked at his lip and Dean have his wrists a small squeeze, nipping his in response.

Seth jolted when he felt Roman's fingers curl around his tail. He broke away from Dean and looked at Roman, cheeks flushed. Roman chuckled and his eyes drifted down to the front of Seth's sweatpants, a brow cocking upwards at the sight of a very noticeable bulge. Seth went beet red and he squirmed, trying to pull his wrists free from Dean. The auburn didn't let him go and Roman leaned forward, one hand palming Seth's erection while the other caressed his face. He let his lips brush over one of Seth's ears, which twitched in response.

"You poor thing. You've gone quite a while without any release, haven't you?" he questioned. Seth nodded shakily, his legs spreading ever so slightly for Roman. The man grinned and continued palming him. Dean licked his lips from above them.

"Shannon did bring up a good point. Seth is pretty much untrained. We've been busy and didn't get to properly play with him yet" he practically purred, fingers running down to Seth's neck and brushing over his collar. Seth looked up at him and Roman hooked his finger in the loop, pulling Seth upwards suddenly. Seth choked, but made no vocal protest. Dean finally let his wrists go in favor of sliding in right behind him, his chin on Seth's shoulder.

"So what's our safeword?"

Seth blinked owlishly at him before his eyes shifted over to Roman in confusion. The Samoan man chuckled lightly.

"Things are going to get pretty heavy when we start training you. We won't stop at no, so you need a safeword. Something completely out there, and as soon as it's gotten too much for you, we'll stop" he explained. Seth fidgeted for a moment before tilting his head.

"Crossfit"

Dean arched a brow.

"Crossfit?"

"Yes"

"What the hell is a Crossfit?"

"Its…a line of gyms I used to go to"

"Crossfit it is"

Dean practically bounced with excitement and Roman shook his head, getting up and going over to one of his bags. One Seth hadn't seen him go in before. Roman tossed it to Dean and strolled over to the corner of the room, sitting down in an armchair and leaning back. Dean scoffed.

"Fucking voyer"

"Get on with it, Dean"

Dean muttered something before smiling sweetly down at Seth. The smaller hybrid sunk back into the bed slightly. That smile was dangerous and it turned him on way more than it should. Dean fished around in the bag for a moment before he found what he was looking for, picking up a dildo. He grinned down at Seth when he realized the smaller man was staring at it, sizing it up with slightly narrowed eyes.

A small challenge.

Dean brushed his thumb over Seth's bottom lip, silently prompting him to open up. "I would suggest you learn now how to suppress that gag reflex. C'mon kitten, give Roman a good show or he'll bitch at us" Dean snickered, sliding the clear toy past Seth's lips. He complied, wrapping his lips around it and sliding his tongue across it as he bobbed his head. He gagged a lot less than Dean expected and this pleased him. He hooked his finger into the waistband of Seth's sweats and boxers before pulling them both down, licking his lips at the muffled mewl that left Seth's lips.

Dean slowly slid the toy out of Seth's mouth, tilting his head to the side with a glint in his eye. "This may hurt a bit, hold onto me" he ordered. Seth grabbed his shoulders, knowing already what was coming. He sucked in a harsh breath when Dean pushed the head of the toy into him. It hurt like a bitch, if he was being honest. Dean and Seth both let out a sigh when the toy went in as much as it could go. Dean grinned at him.

"Get on your hands and knees with your ass to Roman" he ordered. Seth did as he was told, blushing when he basically presented himself to Roman. Said man growled slightly, eyes fixed on Seth's full entrance as he sat with his legs a bit further apart. Dean walked over to Seth, his zipper down and his cock out. There was a predatory grin on his face as he brushed his thumb over Seth's swollen lips.

"You'll do a good job, won't you?"

"Y-yes, sir"

The tremble in Seth's voice made Dean's cock twitch ever so slightly and Seth noticed, leaning forward and running his tongue along it before he slid it into his mouth, his ears twitching when he heard Dean growl a small "that's it" from above him. Seth slid his eyes closed and bobbed his head slowly, his tongue flat against the thick vein on the underside of Dean's cock.

From above, Dean was having a heated staring contest with Roman. He could tell the older man was incredibly turned on by this and he smirked, running a hand through his hair before grabbing Seth by a handful of his hair. "Relax your throat, breathe through your nose" was all the warning Dean gave Seth before he began moving his lips, thrusting into Seth's throat. The smaller cat whimpered, legs spreading wider. Roman's growl grew in volume.

"Shit, you're learning fast. I'm gonna cum and I want you swallow it all like a good kitty, got it?" Dean growled huskily. Seth nodded ever so slightly and continued, feeling Dean's cock twitch in his mouth before he released hot spurts into Seth's mouth. The groan and the way Dean tugged his hair sent Seth over the edge too and he whimpered.

Seth hadn't heard Roman get up, but he sure felt it when the Samoan grabbed him by the hair, forcing his back against his chest. Seth whimpered and Dean tsked. "Uh-oh, you've done it now" he snickered. Seth was going to ask him what he did wrong when Dean leaned forward and sunk his teeth painfully into Seth's shoulder. He cried out but Roman wrapped a hand around his neck and it died down to a whimper.

"Who told you to cum, you little slut?" He growled. Seth shook his head weakly and Roman growled in his ear. "You don't cum unless we say so" he continued while Dean happily grabbed the bag again. Roman snatched the toy out of Seth and Dean cuffed him, tossing him down on the bed. Seth bounced slightly and Dean slid a cock ring over his cock. Seth's eyes grew.

"Please, no-"

"Shut the fuck up until we say speak, bitch"

Dean's eyes had gone dark as he curled his fingers around a small ninetails while Roman rid himself of his belt, curling it around his fist. Seth trembled and eyed both of them with mixed emotions.

"Get up off your ass, you need to be punished" Roman growled. Seth stood, shuffling over so he was in front of him. His knees shook, but he didn't back down. He had to learn and if the dark look was anything to go by, he would enjoy it.

Dean swung first, nailing Seth between the shoulder blades. He yelped and Roman started as well, both of them leaving sharp, hits all over his body. About 5 minutes in, Roman signaled for Dean to stop and he chuckled, looking down at Seth's straining cock.

"You got off on that, didn't you, you masochistic little slut?"

Seth looked away and Roman smirked, palming his cock while Dean fished out something else for Seth.

"I asked you a question, bitch"

"Y-yes…"

"Yes what?"

"Yes, sir. I love the pain you two caused me"

Seth's face was burning and Roman growled in satisfaction. Dean popped back up with a vibrator, coating it with lube before easing it into Seth. The feline whined and Dean cranked it to the highest setting.

"A-ah!" Seth cried, his eyes wide. He squirmed, hands pulling against the cuffs. Pleading eyes turned to Dean and Roman, but the two simply ignored them in favor of drinking in the delicious sight. Seth realized this and squirmed even more, trying to cover up somehow. His efforts only jostled the vibrator inside of him, pressing it right against his prostate.

"Fuck!"

"Oh, look what you've done, Seth. What's wrong? Can't take it?" Dean taunted, vocally belittling the smaller hybrid. Seth began to pant ever so slightly, chewing his lip up something fierce. He opened his mouth and let out a shaky breath before speaking.

"I-I can't…I n-need you…" he whimpered. Dean smirked, wide and Cheshire-like while Roman arched a brow. "Have you learned your lesson?" he questioned. Seth nodded jerkily. Dean sauntered forward and stroked his face before he leaned down and captured his lips, ravishing his mouth and leaving Seth a panting mess. He pulled away and sat on the couch where Roman was sitting before. "Give me a show" He cooed. Roman chose to ignore him and he uncuffed Seth, pulling him fully into his lap. Seth pressed flush against him, his naked and slightly sweaty body rutting against Roman's nearly fully clothed one. Roman grabbed him by the ass, roughly kneading the soft globes while Seth mewled, pressing small kisses along his jaw.

It was a quiet, subtle promise that he was still comfortable and enjoying their treatment.

"Take the toy out for me, Seth" he ordered, slapping both of his hands against Seth's ass. Seth groaned shakily in his ear and he reached back with trembling fingers, his mouth falling open and a soft sound leaving his lips when he slowly began to ease the toy out. Dean licked his lips from behind Seth and Roman stroked his face, leading him back so he was straddling him. He leaned back and looked up with half-lidded eyes.

"Make me cum"

It was a simple enough request that sent sparks running up and down Seth's spine. He nodded and eased himself down on Roman, splaying his palms across Roman's chest for leverage. He let out a shaky moan when he sunk down fully before he began riding Roman, legs spread apart. Roman groaned, finding himself thrusting up when Seth came down in him. Seth tried so hard to keep eye contact but the pleasure was overwhelming him.

Along with the fact that he was being denied his release.

Seth's hips stuttered and Roman grabbed him by the ass again, forcing him to come down on his cock with a new, frenzied pace. Seth clung to his broad shoulders, his ears flattening and his tail curling as he felt his cock twitch desperately. He could feel Roman pulse slightly inside him and he panted into Roman's ear.

"P-please, sir…Can I cum? It hurts" he whimpered. Roman shook his head and bit down on Seth's shoulder. "Dean and I are gonna show you something only we could grant you. Just trust us" he ordered, thrusting up harder into Seth. The two toned cat cried out loudly and Roman grabbed his ass hard, shuddering as he came. He mumbled in satisfaction and beckoned Dean back over, never pulling out of Seth.

"Think you can take us both?" he whispered. Seth shuddered and looked over at Dean, who was now at his side, cock throbbing once more. Seth licked his lips and nodded, draping his arms around Roman's neck and pressing his face against it. Dean crawled onto the bed and lined himself up at Seth's already stuffed entrance, stroking his tail and one of his ears to help him relax. Seth melted in both of their arms, turning to kiss Roman (after silently asking his permission). Dean eased his way in, his hands joining Roman's on Seth's hip.

He stopped when he bottomed out, giving Seth the opportunity to adjust. Seth's nails dug into Roman's back slightly and Dean mouthed at his neck, lips nudging his collar up so he can leave biting kisses along the base of Seth's neck. Seth angled his head the opposite way, giving Dean more space. Roman angled Seth's head up and kissed him again as he began to move. Seth arched against them, panting while Dean growled lowly against his neck.

The men were as gentle for all of two minutes before Dean suddenly snapped his hips up with enough force to knock Seth off-balance. He fell forward into Roman's arms fully and let out a startled cry. Roman sent Dean a look over Seth's head and the slightly smaller man smirked, changing the slow pace to something more feral and primal. The sudden change sent sparks running up and down Seth's spine and his needy moans melted down into unintelligible, wanton cries and mewls as Roman and Dean thrusted into him at a damn there frenzied pace.

Roman could see tears prickling at the corners of Seth's eyes and he pressed a kiss to his cheek. "What's wrong, kitten?" he questioned. Seth's tail bristled ever so slightly before it curled and he nudged Roman's jaw with his lips. "It f-feels good…I need to cum, sir" he whimpered. Roman chuckled, running his fingers over Seth's cock. The two toned cat jolted and cried out, especially when Dean and Roman both slammed into his prostate. He screwed his eyes shut and let his head land on Dean's shoulder as he began to beg frantically.

"Please" he whined, body hot. Every touch from them felt like it would throw him over the edge if he weren't being denied. Dean nipped at his ear and reached down to stroke him in time with he and Roman's brutal pace and Seth's eyes flew open.

"Oh my god! N-no, it's too much!" He cried. Dean shook his head and pressed his face against Seth's neck. He didn't bite him this time.

"Just trust us, Seth. We've got you"

"B-But I can't with-"

"You can"

Dean made him look back, craning Seth's head around so they could kiss and he could silence any more protests that could fall from those swollen lips. A growl left his and Roman's lips and both of them came with a loud roar. Seth trembled in their arms and felt an orgasm rock through him even though he hadn't actually came. He shook, eyes wide and unfocused. Dean grinned and grabbed Seth by the hips, easing him off of them. Seth whimpered and Dean set him down. "You might wanna hold onto us" he warned. Roman laced his fingers with Seth and the two toned man grabbed onto Dean's wrist with his free hand. He sent them both an unsure look and Dean caressed his face in a gentle display as he eased the ring off of Seth.

You couldn't ask Roman or Dean to describe the loud pleasured cry that left Seth's lips when the restriction was gone. He arched upwards, his cock twitching against his abs as he came, hard. Roman kissed his temple and stroked him, watching at Seth fell apart in his arms, sobbing slightly from all the over stimulation.

Once Seth calmed down, Dean sat back, tilting his head to the side, his eyes running over Seth's body. The two toned man was covered in scratches, bites, welts, and his own release. His chest heaved and Dean purred in satisfaction when he saw his and Roman's seed dripping down Seth's thighs.

"You alright, kitten?" Roman questioned when he noticed the smallest feline hadn't said a word. He stared blankly at the ceiling and Dean picked him up, petting his head gently. "Hey, come back down for us babe" he cooed, lightly nipping Seth's ear. Seth blinked, coming back into focus before he purred, nuzzling against Dean's chest. Dean placed a hand on top of his head and grinned.

"I take it you enjoyed?"

"Mmmhm"

Roman laughed airily from behind them and picked Seth up. "C'mon, let's get you cleaned up. Stay awake until then, okay?" he shook Seth lightly when he saw the smaller cat nodding off slightly. Seth whined and placed his head on Roman's chest, nodding slightly and muttering a tired 'yes, sir' in response.

After the three of them showered and Dean (reluctantly) changed the sheets, Seth curled up snugly between them, falling asleep almost instantly. Roman traced the welts on Seth's chest while Dean idly ran his fingers over Seth's mixed tail. He purred in his sleep and shifted slightly.

"Rome?"

"What?"

"What the hell are we going to do about those Wyatt fuckers?"

Roman clicked his tongue and closed his eyes. A few minutes passed and Dean started to drift off as well when he heard Roman finally respond to him.

"Take them out before they take all of us out"

=Undisclosed Location=

Jeff sat perched in a tree outside the place the Wyatt Family called home. He stared down at the people below. There were a lot of people here he didn't know and this place was a lot…different from what he'd expected.

He expected them all to be savages, from what he'd seen when they burned the town down. Instead, they seemed to be just as civil and…together as the old group. With some…minor exceptions. (Rowan's cannibalism and the unnerving silence that hovered around Luke with that intense stare he gave everyone. Also, everyone here pretty much praised Bray)

"Hey friend! When are you coming down?" came a bubbly voice from below. Jeff looked down and saw a brunette girl beaming up at him. He raised a questioning brow. She seemed to be so much out of place when compared to the others (except maybe Bo. That guy was always smiling. It reminded Jeff of some kind of serial killer, though).

"I don't think I know your name, friend"

"I just got here."

"Yes, I've heard of you from Paige. My name is Bayley! You look like you need a hug"

"No…no, I think I'm good"

There was a small gust of wind and Bayley was right beside him. His eyes grew at how fast she was when she threw her arms around his neck and all but knocked them both out of the tree. She nuzzled his cheek and grinned. "There! Doesn't that feel better?" she questioned. Jeff looked around unsurely and heard someone stop behind him. He looked back and saw Paige standing above them, arms crossed.

"Paige!" Bayley cheered, throwing her arms around the pale woman. Paige placed one hand on her head and helped Jeff up off the ground. "How are you settling in?" she questioned as he dusted the dirt off his pants. Jeff shrugged slightly, looking around. "I…expected it to be…darker" he muttered. Paige sent him a small sympathetic look.

"I can see why you would. Thing is, we're not the ones wrong here. They are" she hissed, looking out to the horizon. It was already night but there were spots in the forest that were illuminated with greens and blues. Beyond that, a town.

"What do you mean? Who are they?" Jeff questioned. Paige didn't look back and Bayley's smile fell, a dark glint in her eye. She spoke for the pale woman.

"The humans. They look down on us, call us freaks. Hybrids, elementals, everyone that isn't 100% human isn't worth being on the same pedestal those fucking humans put themselves on" Jeff blinked in surprise at the dip in Bayley's voice and the use of profanity. It seemed so…out of character for the bubbly woman. Paige gently petted her head and Bayley relaxed before the pale European woman turned her gaze back to Jeff.

"We've been here longer. We're superior. But still the humans see us as inferior. As toys. Jeff, they sell our kind as pets for pleasure or circus freaks. They've killed us off in great numbers. The only good human is a dead one or one who knows their place below us in the world." She told him. Jeff frowned, remembering the multiple times he'd nearly been snatched by shady characters who'd tried to sell him to said shops. Those places were everywhere and there were no laws anywhere to prevent the selling of actual live people from being sold like pets. It honestly was a larger business than the human trafficking business.

Now, Jeff understood the anger The Family felt. It never hit him before about just how much he and his friends were being suppressed. Paige saw the way his eyes narrowed and she smiled at him before looking back out at the horizon.

"He used to think the same way, before his memories got fucked up. He was the one who originally banded us together. That's why we need him to remember" She whispered. Jeff's brows furrowed slightly.

"Need who to remember?

*8 am*

Seth awoke with a jolt and groaned, feeling a spark of pain run up his bottom. He awoke Dean with the noise and the auburn grinned with half his face still buried in the pillow.

"Good morning to you, kitten"

Seth wiggled a bit before he gave up and laid back down, kissing the tip of Dean's nose.

"Good morning, sir"

"How's the leg?"

"Perfectly fine"

Dean nodded and tossed an arm around Seth's waist, pulling him closer with the intention of him going back to sleep when there was a light tap at the door. Dean growled and Seth got up, grabbing a pair of sweats and putting them on before he made his way to the door.

Evan was on the other side, grinning cheekily at him. Seth blushed at his friend and the smaller cat waved. "I'm sorry to ruin the whole "basking in the afterglow" part, but Hunter wanted to call a meeting for all of the Doms" Evan told him. Seth glanced behind him, watching Dean pull a pillow over his head and raise one hand, his middle finger up for both of them. Seth snickered and Evan hid a smile behind his hand.

"Yeah, they'll be down in a sec"


	22. Chapter 22

"Hello Jeffery"

Jeff glanced up, watching cautiously as Bray approached him. He pulled up a chair, straddling it and grinning at the Sub across from him. Jeff met his gaze unblinkingly. "What is it? Did you have to tell me something?" he questioned. Bray tilted his head ever so slightly before humming.

"I want to give you a gift" he responded. Jeff stared at him cautiously before the man got up and began walking towards the door, looking back to make sure Jeff was following. He was, so Bray continued the walk in silence, not stopping until he reached a room that was painted neon purple with a bunch of different neon splotches tossed onto it. Jeff's eyes lit up, the artist in him being drawn to that door, as it was intended. Bray looked down at him out of the corner of his eye, a small grin tugging at his lips before he reached for the door handle, pushing the door open.

The first noticeable thing about the room was the scent: roses and candy. Jeff peered in, standing in the doorway with Bray as he surveyed the room. It was purple, the lights in it was a blueish-purple color, giving the room a tinted glow. There was confetti, balloons, and candy scattered all around the floor, as well as numerous people dressed in…peculiar outfits. Jeff was positive he saw a woman dressed as Captain America and a guy dressed as a cheeseburger, among other costumes and characters. Bray made a small sound in his throat and tapped his knuckle against the doorframe, loud enough to somehow awaken them all.

They all looked up at him before exchanging looks amongst themselves and then Jeff watched them all disappear into several balls of multicolored lights before they flew over to the bed at the far end of the room, combining into one, rainbow colored ball before it flew into the strawberry-shaped pendent on the nightstand. Jeff blinked and looked over at Bray, the obvious question in his eyes.

"I'm sure he'll explain to you once he warms up to you. Now," Bray turned his attention to the room again, entering this time. He stepped on a balloon on purpose, the pop making the lump under the covers jolt for a moment before Jeff heard a groan from underneath.

The lump moved and a man sat up from underneath it, the blankets falling down his chest and pooling over his lap. He scratched his head and yawned, looking over at the two. A lazy smile stretched across his face, his light green eyes half-lidded.

"Ello Bray. What brings you here so early?"

"It's 4 in the afternoon, Adam."

"Is it? I guess me and the Rosebuds partied a bit too hard"

"You always do"

Adam grinned and bit off the hair tie that was on his wrist, tying his hair back into a low ponytail before he rose from the bed, naked as the day he was born, striding over to the two. Bray was completely unaffected by the man's lack of clothing while Jeff eyed him carefully. Punk would flip if he knew this guy was-

Jeff tensed.

Adam noticed this and his carefree gaze shifted off of Bray to Jeff, smelling the distress coming off him in waves. He stopped, looking down and realizing his error, grabbing a pair of shorts that was carelessly tossed over a vanity mirror and sliding them on before he closed the gap between him and his guests. He tilted his head, offering Jeff a lollipop.

"Hey, what's wrong with the bunny? You've got a sour look on your face" he hummed. Jeff eyed him first and then the lollipop. After a beat of silence, he took it, slowly unwrapping it and putting it into his mouth. Adam smiled.

"That's better. Who are you anyway, bunny?" he questioned. Bray placed a hand at the small of Jeff's back, gently pushing him forward as he spoke.

"This is Jeff. He was a victim of the Fallen Lord. I took him in after the last village was purified. Funny story, Seth tried to stop him" Bray cooed, a small hint of excitement in his voice. Jeff looked at him curiously. He still had no idea how these people knew Seth but no one said anything to him when he asked.

Cory gave him a demeaning pat on the head and walked away, Paige would go silent and stare off into the distance, Bayley simply changed the subject by jumping on him in a near-suffocating hug, Jeff was too terrified to ask Erick anything or be within arm's reach of the cannibal, Luke gave him an unnerving look, and Bray would just smile, tip his hat down, and coo over and over again about how "soon" it would be until Seth remembered.

"Hellloooo~ You alright there, bunny?" Adam called, waving his hand over Jeff's face. The older man jolted slightly and stepped back, eyes widening for a moment before he looked to his side, noticing Bray was absent. His brows furrowed.

"While you were day dreaming, he left. He's assigning you to me. From here on out, we're partners" Adam told him. Jeff blinked owlishly at him. "Assigned?" he parroted. Adam nodded, striding over to his nightstand and sliding his strawberry necklace on.

"Come on, I'll show you some of the assigned teams so you understand a bit better"

=Infirmary=

Natalya sat beside Aksana's bed, taking a small nap as Kharma and Gale took over the healing process. Gale was smaller, crowded over Faust's body and covering the serpent with his body. Kharma was above, running her hands over Aksana's head when she felt a pulse. Her eyes softened and she leaned back with a sigh, extending her hand and dragging the last of the healing block out of her body. She took it into her own, harnessing the black magic and relaxing when she saw Aksana begin to heal herself rapidly.

Gale squawked and awoke Nattie, the blonde woman jolting slightly. Aksana's eyes flew open and she shot up with a gasp, choking slightly as she coughed and sputtered to get air back into her stiff lungs. Her lungs had obviously died over the time period so she teared up, clutching her hand over her chest as she struggled to breathe. Natalya pressed a warm hand between Aksana's breasts and the divine serpent let out a shaky breath before she looked up weakly at Natalya.

"W-what…what happened? The last thing I remember…Jeff…JEFF! WHERE'S JEFF?!" she cried, flailing weakly. Nattie grabbed her wrists and pinned her to the bed, smiling tiredly down at her. "He's gone." She whispered. Aksana stared at her for a moment before she teared up, body shaking. Natalya sat up and pulled her against her chest, petting her head as Aksana cried.

"Why are you crying?" she questioned gently. Aksana clutched at her clothes and let out a weak hiss, Faust shifting in distress somewhere behind her. "I could have saved him! I could have…" she trailed off, eyes widening as she suddenly felt her world shift.

_"Snakes are evil, Renee. Snakes are bad!" one of the Caretakers hissed before they turned to Aksana._

_"You! You impure one! You only exist to harbor the holy sword of Justice! Don't think you can get one over on us by trying to entice our precious angel!" she spat. Aksana clenched her fists, glaring across at her, fangs bared._

_"Say that again. Call me impure again." She snarled. She was older, in her teens, as was Renee. Said teen peered at her from behind the second Caretaker, eyes wide and afraid. She'd never seen Aksana this angry before. The female Caretaker's eyes narrowed._

_"Impure."_

_Aksana's eyes narrowed as well, into dangerous slits as she summoned her whip, covering it in ice and lunging at the woman in rage. She was blinded by that rage, and didn't snap out of it until she felt the splash of blood against her cheek and heard Renee scream._

_The Caretaker was divine. Given, a lot less powerful as Renee and Aksana, but still divine. She would survive the blow, but Aksana's eyes drifted up to Renee's in shock. The male Caretaker had knelt down beside his lover. By the way he was codling her, you'd think she'd die._

_That was enough for Renee._

_"Renee, wait-"_

_"No! Monster!" Renee shrieked, running full-speed in the opposite direction. Aksana ran after her, not even passing the glaring Caretakers a glace as she did so. Renee looked back, seeing her friend chasing after her, calling for her. She hiccupped and ran faster, tears pouring from her eyes as she willed her legs to take her far away._

_"Renee! Renee please wait!" Aksana called desperately, weaving through all of the growth in the forest. Renee shook her head and pressed on, running clean off the hill. She shrieked and began to plummet, throwing her hands open and forcing her wings clean out of her back, crying out when they ripped through the skin. Aksana sighed and tossed herself off as well, letting herself drop a few feet before she created an ice board and began riding that down to Renee._

_"L-leave me alone!" Renee cried. Aksana shook her head. "No! Just calm down. I...I didn't mean to…but being told your whole life that you're nothing but a tool is just…" she trailed off, the smell of smoke entering her lungs. She looked forward, seeing one of the Divine villages ablaze in a raging Hellfire._

_"W-what is this?" Renee questioned as she touched ground. Aksana was beside her, a sense of dread and " **get out of here while you can** " filling her. She grabbed Renee's hand. "Renee, we need to get out of-"She yelped when Renee snatched her hand free, hugging it to her chest and looking at Aksana with the most betrayed look on her face._

_"I can't trust you"_

_"Renee please. We can't do this right now. There's an attack and-"_

_That's when they heard an unholy roar. Both of their heads snapped over to the source of the sound, finding a demon snarling at them from within the inferno. Aksana froze. "T-That's the Demon Lord…the Undertaker…Renee, we need to leave now!" she hissed, snatching Renee's hand once more and running._

_She made it a few feet away before a powerful force slammed into her from the side, breaking three of her ribs instantly. She cried out in pain and Taker grabbed Renee by the hair, a rumble leaving his throat as he bent down, sniffing the shaking teen._

_"Purity. You must be the goddess of justice" he growled. Renee stared at him with wide eyes before she looked to Aksana, who was slowly rising. She hissed and summoned her whip, going to attack him. He grabbed hold of it and snatched it forward, punching her in the chest. She coughed and looked over his shoulder._

_"Renee, run!" she ordered._

_Renee jolted, hesitating._

_"I can't leave you-"_

_" **GO!** "_

_Renee turned and went to take flight. Taker grabbed one of her wings and snatched her back, forcing her to the ground. He grabbed her by the neck and summoned a dark corridor. Renee sobbed, struggling in his hand. "Aksana! Aksana help!" she sobbed. Aksana stood, reaching for her. Taker grunted and slammed his knee into her stomach, watching her drop to the floor. He rolled his neck on his shoulders and walked into the corridor, disappearing with Renee.*_

"Saved…her" Aksana whispered, eyes wide. She felt tears roll down her cheeks and Natalya sent her a cautious look. "Aksana?" she called, shaking her. Aksana looked at her, smiling weakly. "I really am useless. I couldn't save either of them. I couldn't even save myself" she whispered. Natalya shook her head and pulled Aksana against her a bit tighter, Kharma silently excusing herself from the room.

"You did more than what anyone would expect. You got your head smashed in, for God's sake. Don't be so hard on yourself. We'll get Jeff back. All that matters now is that you're okay" she told her. Aksana clutched the back of her shirt tight, burying her face into the crook of Natalya's neck.

The blonde let her and gently pet her head, lulling her to sleep.

=W/ Seth=

"So, they knew your name when you got there?" Leighla hummed. She was sitting beside Seth outside, her hands weaving through some flowers she'd picked while he cleaned his pistols, taking them apart and wiping down each piece with an absent look in his eyes. He was telling her about the night when he'd lost Jeff.

"Yeah…the girl-Paige-looked really upset about it" he muttered as he put one of his guns back together before moving to the next one. Leighla hummed thoughtfully, leaning against the tree, eyes still fixed on the flowers in her hands.

"What if, by some weird happenings, you do know them, but just forgot?" she questioned suddenly. His brows furrowed and he looked over at her. "Forgot? How could I forget people like that?" he inquired. She looked up at him finally, tilting her head. "Well, people often lose memories when they go through traumatic experiences as severe as the ones Taker put you through, not to mention how many blows to the head you've taken, and the fact that both he and Summer Rae fucked with your memories to try and manipulate you" she explained, her voice calm. Seth's tail bristled at the mention of the things Taker put him through and he looked like he was considering it when he let out a short laugh.

"Nah, I don't have any memory of them. I doubt my memories would get messed up _that_ bad" he told her as he added a new clip to his pistol, snapping it into place and grinning. He missed the way Leighla's fingers tightened around the flowers before she loosened her grip, gently setting the flower crown she'd just made on his head. Seth's ears twitched curiously and his friend smiled at him.

"C'mon. I wanna go somewhere"

=1 Hour Later=

Leighla cast a glance behind her, smiling when she caught Heath's eye. He, Justin, and Evan had tagged along with permission from all of their respective Doms. It made Heath a bit nervous to be out so far from the Hart Dynasty without a Dom with them. He smiled back nervously and looked away.

All of the Doms were still stuck in that heated meeting Hunter had called in regards to the Wyatt Family and Nattie-who was the one to usually take them on these Sub outings-was busy with Aksana, since the woman had finally been able to be healed and had woken up. The Canadian Dom and all of her Divas had crowded into the infirmary, with blankets on the floor and Aksana stuck right in the middle of a Diva cuddle session, right between Natalya and JoJo.

"Where are we going, anyway?" Seth questioned, scratching the back of his head as he yawned. Leighla shoved his arm. "I felt as if you'd enjoy some treats from home since the past few days have been unenjoyable for you" she told him. Seth's fingers unconsciously went up to his collar and he blushed.

"I wouldn't say completely unenjoyable" Evan cooed from behind them. Seth turned to snap at him and Leighla let the boys have their moment, turning and leading the way. She lead them to an ice cream parlor, where an old man was working. He looked up and smiled at them.

"Hello! Seth, Leighla, it's been a while!" he beamed. Seth blinked in confusion and Leighla stood in front of him, smiling back at the man. "Hello Kurt. We'll have the usual. What do you three want?" she questioned as she turned to the three newcomers. They all ordered something different. Evan wanted cookie dough, Justin wanted an Italian ice, and Heath-reluctantly-ordered a banana split.

"Come again soon! Enjoy!" Kurt called as they left his space. "Can we sit somewhere?" Justin questioned as he looked around, spoon in his mouth. Leighla sent him an incredulous look. "Of course. I won't force you boys to stand. Come, there's a park over there." She led them to it, sitting down on one of the swings in the playground right beside it. Seth leaned against one of the bars that kept them all together while he finished his cone. He looked around the playground, brows furrowed. Leighla looked at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Something wrong?"

"I feel…like I've been here before" he muttered. She smiled from behind her ice cream. "You should. You came here all the time when you were a kid" she told him. Seth looked around once more and Leighla shifted. "Seth, push me" she pouted. He rolled his eyes and pushed the raven, still trying to remember this place.

Leighla clenched the chain.

"Seth, higher!" she grinned.

**_' "Seth, higher!"_ **

**_"_, I know. Any higher and you'll fall, though"_ **

**_"If I fall, you'll catch me, right?"_ **

**_"Did you really have to ask?"'_ **

"Seth? Seth? SETH!" Leighla barked. Seth jolted and looked down at her. She frowned up at him. "What's going on with you?" Justin questioned from the tree he was lounging in. Seth rubbed his temple.

"I…I don't know. I think I had a flashback just now…but I didn't see anything clearly…everything was-"

"Blurry?" Leighla cut in. He nodded and she sighed, standing. "Want to go home?" she questioned. He shook his head. "No, I'm fine. It's been a while since I've been able to hang out with you and these guys without having to worry about dying. Let's go somewhere else" he offered. Leighla nodded and Justin leapt out of the tree, startling Evan and Heath, who were lounging right below him.

"I saw a bookstore on the way. I want to go there first to buy Master a book" he told them before he turned on his heel and lead the way. Heath made a small squawking sound as he scrambled up, jogging to catch up with his fellow Sub while Evan hung back with Leighla and Seth.

"So, when did you two meet?" he questioned, intending to strike up some friendly small talk. Seth went to answer when he stopped suddenly, frowning. "I...actually don't know" he muttered, ashamed. Leighla hummed, hands in her pocket. "We've been friends since we were in diapers." She told Evan. Seth frowned.

"Why can't I remember…?"

"Don't put stress on yourself"

They stopped outside, letting Heath and Justin go in. It took longer than expected so by time they came out, it was just about time to leave. Evan trailed slightly behind them, texting Randy, his tail swaying slightly. He looked up, about to ask them how long it would take until they got back when he noticed a pair of women in their forties across the street, looking absolutely terrified. He glanced around in confusion before he realized they were looking at Seth, who was talking to Heath. Evan's ear twitched when he heard bits of their panicked voices.

_'That's…that's him right?'_

_'No…can't be…wouldn't….show up in the same town…'_

_'But….the hair…and…it's him'_

He couldn't hear them clearly but he knew they were talking about his friend for whatever reason. He looked forward to tell Seth when he saw Leighla glance in the direction of the women, her eyes half lidded. She made a small 'tsk' sound before her eyes gleamed white and the tips of her fingers did the same. She swiped her hand gently to the side and Evan quickly looked back, watching the women's faces go blank before they blinked, looking around in confusion.

_'What were we talking about?'_

_'I don't know…anyway, did you see that new series…?'_

Evan's eyes grew and he looked forward again, jolting when he saw Leighla glancing back at him. He bit the inside of his cheek and smiled at her.

She didn't smile back.

=Hart Dynasty=

Evan did everything in his power to not sit in the back with Leighla. He didn't even sit directly in front of her. His nerves were shot and every time he glanced in the rear view mirror, she was looking at him with a blank look. He shuddered and darted into the mansion, fully intending to run off to find one of his Doms and tell them what he'd seen when a hand came down on his shoulder.

"Evan, could you show me where the bathroom is?" Leighla questioned politely. Evan shook his head stiffly. "No…I've got to do something, ask someone else?" he suggested. Leighla cocked a brow and looked behind her. Seth had disappeared to go find Dean and Roman while Wade stood with Heath and Justin, thanking them for getting the book.

"They're kind of busy. Please? It'll be quick." She finally smiled and that unnerved the man. He nodded reluctantly and lead her upstairs. "The one on the far left, okay? Good, see you later" he muttered quickly, turning to rush down the hall. His wrist was grabbed and he was turned roughly, suddenly slammed against a wall. He choked and Leighla shook her head.

"You shouldn't have seen that" she told him softly, her forearm pinning him where he was. He stared at her with wide eyes. "You think? What was that?" he questioned. Leighla clicked her tongue. "Some humans I missed. I did Seth a favor. Those women were gossiping about things they shouldn't" she confessed. Evan's brows furrowed.

"About what?"

"If I told you, I'd probably have to kill you?"

"A bit cliché, don't you think?"

"Hm. It doesn't matter. Seth likes you, so you live. Stay out of our way, Evan. It's for your own good"

With that, she pressed her hand to his neck, fingertips and eyes glowing once more. Evan went lax in her arm and she let him slide to the floor. He blinked a few times and looked around. Leighla tilted her head.

"What's wrong?"

"I…don't remember being in this hallway. I thought I was in the kitchen…why am I on the floor?" he questioned. Leighla helped him up and smiled. "Maybe you wanted to be a dust bunny" she snickered. He stuck his tongue out at her and strolled away, ears twitching every now and again. Leighla watched him go before she sighed and grabbed her phone, disappearing into the bathroom to make a call.

How troublesome.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning for attempted non-con and mentions of suicide

"So, first things first, we have the Alpha Teams" Adam started as he and Jeff walked down the halls together. Jeff made a small sound to let him know he was listening, so Adam continued, waving his hand slightly as he spoke.

"The very top, is obviously Lord Bray, Luke, and Erick. The second Alpha Team is Paige and Corey." He stopped only to jog down a flight of stairs, heading into the kitchen. Bayley was inside and she smiled when she saw him, throwing her arms around him in a crushing hug he returned with a light chuckle. Once he let go, she did the same to Jeff, who gently patted the top of her head.

"Bayley is in one of the Omega teams with Sasha, Sami, and Emma. Delta Team is Charlotte, Adrian, Tyler, and Alexa. Finally, there's Beta Team. That would be me, The Ascension, Lana, Rusev, Bo, and you" Adam explained, grabbing a bottle of water out of the fridge before he turned to Jeff, tossing it his way. Jeff caught it, leaning against the counter.

"That's a pretty big team compared to the others. I only know a few of who you just told me, too. Why is Beta team so big?" he questioned. "Because we're the team Bray sends in for the big cities. We're almost an Alpha team" Adam replied.

"What decides the ranks?"

"How well you all work together. How well you liberate the designated area, and power, of course"

With that, Adam placed a hand on Jeff's shoulder. "Luckily for you, Bray just assigned Beta Team to the city just over the horizon. C'mon. You don't have to do anything this time around except watch and pay attention" he told Jeff, grabbing his wrist and leading him out after waving goodbye to Bayley.

=50 Miles away from the Hart Dynasty=

Drew surveyed the area, eyes narrowed. "It's really all gone" he muttered, picking up a charred shoe of a child. It was stained with blood. Sheamus was a few feet away from him, raising sections of the earth with his powers and checking for survivors.

There were none.

"They really did a number on this place. How the hell did they come in so fast, undetected, and just lay waste to an entire city? Dammit!" Sheamus cursed and dropped the slab of earth he'd raised angrily. Drew sighed and sent the area one last look when he heard a sound. Laughing.

He growled, ears up and alert as he drew his sword, sprinting off in that direction without a word, footsteps swift and silent. Sheamus was right behind him, a lump underneath the earth just beside him. Drew leapt over the side of a fallen building and startled the figure behind it, knocking them to the ground with his sword to their neck.

"Ah! W-what are you doing?! H-Holy shit, is that a _sword?!_ " she shrieked. It was a woman, a blonde raccoon woman. Her ears flattened and she stared at his sword, swallowing thickly. Drew didn't move and Sheamus emerged at his side, arms crossed.

"The whole town burns down and you show up, funny how that happens, isn't it?" he grunted, voice rough. The blonde blinked up at him and he noticed the choker around her neck.

"That collar…you're collared, right? Where is your Dom?" he questioned. Her lips curved and she pointed across from them. Drew and Sheamus glanced over in that direction, finding a man impaled on a stake, a gaping hole through his chest. The two Europeans looked back towards the raccoon, who had her head tilted.

"He's dead. As you can see. I was just coming back to make sure" she told them. Drew's brows furrowed. "He was your Master. Aren't you upset he's dead?" he questioned, lowering his arm slightly. The girl sat up now that the immediate threat of a sword to her neck was gone. She stood, dusting herself off and placing a hand on her hip after adjusting the small mask on her face. It didn't really hide anything, but Drew knew the raccoon hybrids enjoyed wearing them.

"Upset? He bought me. There wasn't any connection there. Just because I was collared doesn't mean I liked it, or that Italian bastard either." She spat in his direction, reaching up to snatch the collar off. Drew saw the blood on her hand and swung his sword at her, not at all surprised when she leapt backwards into a crouch. Her eyes were narrowed and she let out a low hiss.

"You killed him, didn't you?" Drew questioned. Sheamus shifted slightly from beside him, softening the ground below her so he could trap her. He just needed a few more seconds…

The woman raised her hand, flexing her bloody fingers.

"Of course." She hummed, slamming her hand into the ground below her and nullifying the sand trap Sheamus was setting up. She tsked and looked at them. "You don't want to get involved. Leave here." She warned. Drew snarled. "Bullshit. You killed innocents!" he barked, lunging at her. She shook her head and backflipped away, kicking him hard in the jaw when she did so. She skidded on the gravel and Sheamus was at her side in a flash, ready to hit her full-power in the stomach by something. He grunted in surprise and looked to his side, finding a brunette standing there.

"How is it you've somehow managed to get in trouble already when you were just supposed to survey the area and make sure everyone was dead?" He growled, staring into Sheamus' eyes but directing the question to the blonde. She pouted. "I got caught up laughing at Santino when these guys showed up. I told them to leave, but they tried to fight me Sami. What else am I supposed to do?" she questioned. The man grunted in annoyance.

"Emma, shit like this is the reason why we're still a damn Omega Team. Bayley and Sasha are back at home so we need to take care of this" he grunted. Emma began bouncing eagerly, her fists clenched. "Do we kill them?" she questioned. Sami rolled his neck on his shoulders.

"Whatever gets us out of here faster. You take the cat-"before he could finish, Drew lunged for him, aiming at his neck. Sami ducked out of the way and Sheamus charged full-speed into him, tackling him to the floor. Emma growled and her nails hardened to claws and she went to lunge for Sheamus when Drew grabbed her by the wrist and slammed her against the ground.

"You're both coming with us" he growled, raising his free hand to attack her. That was his mistake. As he was winding up, she slashed his leg and shot up, uppercutting him before she darted away. Drew snarled as he bit his lip and he chased after her.

"Running away? You two are cowards" Sheamus spat as he slammed his fist into Sami's face. The man's head snapped to the side and he chuckled. "We are? What about the humans that sell our own kind? Think about it. There are elementals that are forced into slavery, the electric ones being forced to power whole cities, the fire ones sitting in furnaces to make sure they don't die out. Earth elementals forced to go miles underneath the surface of the earth to find whatever those selfish humans are looking for, the water ones straining to go thousands of miles under the ocean, the wind ones powering turbines. They all die sooner or later, used as tools. You can't tell me you don't feel some rage at that. Hearing about how the electric and fire ones burn out of energy and get killed by the very thing they were trying to maintain. Earth elementals running out of gas under our very feet and suffocating, water elementals being crushed by the water pressure, wind elementals losing their breath from the altitudes and falling or _jumping_ to their deaths. But _we're_ the cowards? We're only evening the score" he growled. Sheamus stared at him with wide eyes and Sami disappeared.

"Shit!" Sheamus growled, looking around. "He teleports?" he hissed, trying to feel for any changes in the ground. There was suddenly a presence right behind him, lips right to his ear.

"Fuck yeah, he _teleports_ " Sami grinned and twisted his body around, catching Sheamus with a kick to the jaw and knocking him down as he stood over him, his hand sparking with light magic. "I'm an elemental just like you, Casper. We should be fighting together. So I guess I'll have to beat some sense into you" he grinned.

A few meters away, Drew was glancing around, holding his sword tightly with both hands, looking around. He frowned. Emma was a lot faster than he expected. He heard a twig snap behind him and spun around, sword making a vicious circle around him. Emma was on all fours, ducking perfectly underneath the blade before she lunged, slashing the back of his knee. His eyes grew and he crumbled to the ground. She straddled him, scratching all that she could while he tried to guard his face.

Sheamus was just as bad, with Sami blasting him over and over with energy. He collapsed once more and Sami kicked him over, his foot on his chest, hand glowing violently.

"Too bad you don't see the way we do. Farewell-"

"Hey!"

Sami grunted and looked over his shoulder. Sasha was staring down at him, sitting cross-legged on a broom. "Let's go. Lord Bray says you've been gone for too long" she yawned boredly. Emma looked up, blinking and Sami scoffed. "Sasha, just let me get rid of him and-""Bray wants you back _now._ They weren't part of the mission" she talked over him rather rudely. Sami huffed and lowered his hand. He looked down at Sheamus.

"Think about what I said." He grunted before he teleported. Emma darted over to Sasha, jumping up and grabbing the broom. She swung and flipped upwards, straddling it and wrapping her arms around Sasha's torso as the woman flew off.

Sheamus growled in annoyance but got up, rushing over to Drew when he realized the Sub was bleeding heavily. He looked panicked, his cool demeanor broken as he grabbed his leg tightly, blood seeping through his fingers. "I-I need to get to a healer before I bleed out!" he cried. Sheamus sighed and grabbed Drew and his sword, carrying him and rushing back out of the town, his cellphone to his ear.

The enemy was a lot stronger than anticipated and that worried him.

Almost as much as the small part of him that sympathized with them.

=Meanwhile=

She looked around, holding herself as she tried to weave through the crowd. Her skirt rose up her thighs and she could've sworn she'd felt a hand on the back of her thigh a few times. She looked utterly lost, a pair of wings tucked tightly against her back. She saw a shadow cast over her and she turned around, stepping away as three men much larger than her stepped up to her.

"You look lost, little bird" one grinned. Her eyes darted around and she stepped away once more. "No…no I'm fine…" she murmured. Another one chuckled. "I don't think so. Come with us, we'll show you around" he offered. She shuddered and darted away, wings stretching as she flew away. The men instantly began pursuing her, laughing as they followed.

"I love a chase!"

"Sweetie, slow down, we're not gonna hurt ya!"

"No! Leave me alone!" she shrieked, diving into an alley.

Her eyes grew when she ran right into a dead end. She touched the brick wall for a moment before trying to fly upwards. She was grabbed by her ankle and slammed to the ground and one of the men pinned her there.

"Gotcha. You'll sell for a pretty penny, won't cha" the large man cooed as he leaned down to her neck. She struggled against him. "P-please, let me go…" she whimpered. One behind her grinned darkly. "How's about we try her out before we sell her?" he purred, caressing her thigh. She stared at him blankly before she smiled. The final one saw this.

"Finally accepting it?"

"No. I'm just glad I can drop this act. All this faking to be weaker than you meatsacks was making me break out."

With that, she slammed her head into the man straddling her, grinning as he roared in pain, three of his teeth knocking back into his throat. She pushed him off and drove her fist forward, slamming it into his neck, killing him instantly. The other two coward and tried to run but she held her hand up and suddenly they froze, against their will. She kept them still with one hand, manipulating the blood in their bodies while she dusted herself with her free hand, the feathers on her wings slightly ruffled. She looked every bit of annoyed.

"Filthy human, American trash bastards." She growled, her accent finally shining through with her annoyance. She smirked and waved her hand to the left, grinning when the men were forced to move in that direction.

"Do you know who I am?" she hissed, eyes narrowed. The men couldn't move, of course, since she had a hold on them. "I am the goddess Nephthys. Ever wonder how it feels to have your blood seep out from your pores? How about bloating up until you pop like a balloon? Or my favorite, I could boil you from the inside out~" she purred, until she scoffed, dropping her hand.

"You two aren't worth me sullying my hands. Rusev, crush" she hissed, letting go of her hold on the men. As soon as she did, they tried to run away, but a roar came from above and a behemoth of a man jumped from the rooftops, landing directly on one man and killing him upon impact. The other man froze and the large Bulgarian snarled, grabbing him by the arms and violently ripping them completely off of his body. He watched the man scream in pain and then looked over to the woman, silently asking her what to do. She smiled and came forward, stroking his face.

"Good boy, Rusev. Now let's lay waste to this pathetic city" she ordered. The large man growled and nodded and the two began their 'liberation' of the south side of the city.

Adam and Jeff were above them, standing on a platform Adam had summoned. Jeff chewed on his lip. Adam watched him out of the corner of his eye before he wrapped an arm around his waist. "Relax, bunny. I know you're not down for the violence, I'm still not big on it either, but sometimes, it's the only option when humans with no desire to change. It's what we have to do to make sure all of us who aren't human aren't wiped out" he muttered. Jeff looked down when he heard shouting.

A group of hybrids were getting crowded into a van, out of a pet shop. There was a woman beating a small fox hybrid with the hard end of a broom. "Let's go! Get up! There's an attack and I need to make sure all of my merchandise gets out. Get the fuck up, you little bitch!" she hissed. The hybrid yelped in pain. She was young, in her mid-teens, with blood dribbling down her head and rolling down her dark skin. She whimpered and pushed herself away and Jeff could hear the other hybrids in the van whining in protest. Adam looked on as well, eyes darkening. His fingers flexed, but Jeff held up a hand, stopping him before he could do anything. Adam sent him a curious look but he simply jumped down, landing gracefully on the ground right between the woman and the fox girl and catching the broomstick. He leered at the woman.

"I think you'd better turn and leave. You're hurting these hybrids. You've done enough" he growled. She scowled right back at him. "And who the fuck are you? One of those PETA fuckers? Get the hell out of here, kid" she snapped. Jeff glared at her and dropped the spell he kept over his ears and tail. (He only kept it up because he was self-conscious about it, but this woman was talking all kinds of shit)

"No, I'm not one of them. I'm a hybrid and you're making a big mistake. Turn around and leave" he growled once more. She narrowed her eyes. "So you're a toy too? Where's your master? Untamed I guess? Come, you'll come with me. You should respect the world order" she sighed, sounding disappointed in him as she grabbed his hand. He snatched it away and her eyes hardened. She went to swing for him when Adam caught the broom, snapping it in two with one hand as he stared emotionlessly down at her.

"Jeff, what do you say?" he questioned. Jeff looked at him. Adam was willing to let him decide the fate of this woman? "You trust me to make this decision?" he inquired. Adam let a small smile grace his face and Jeff's heart pounded for a moment before he looked down at the terrified fox. The teen stood, grabbing his hand. "P-please help us" she whimpered. He nodded and looked back at the woman.

"She dies." He grunted.

Her eyes grew and she let go of her splintered broom, running towards the car. "Murderers!" she shrieked. Adam shook his head and tapped his strawberry pendent. "Be a dear and get them, Darla" he hummed. A blue ball of light shot out and the woman dressed as Captain America appeared. She huffed and ran full-speed after the car when the woman tried to run away, uncaring of the hybrids toppling out of the still-open back hatch. Adam ran forward, summoning platforms to cushion their falls so they wouldn't hit the ground and injure themselves while Darla slammed her fist into the car door and ripped it clean off, growling as she ripped the woman out.

"Adam?" she questioned.

"Kill her." He responded, peering into the back of the truck and smiling gently at the terrified hybrids inside. They saw him and backed away, terrified. He sat down cross-legged beside them and handed each of them a lollipop.

"Don't cry. I'm here to help. It'll be over soon. My friends and I are liberating the town" he told them as he began taking their bindings off. Once that was done, they stared at him with wide, teary eyes. "T-Thank you" whispered a heavily scarred dog who scooted forward, embracing Adam tight. He smiled and patted his head, looking back at Jeff, who had came up to the truck with the fox girl and the hybrids that fell out. Jeff smiled back slightly and Adam took notice. It was the first smile he'd seen on the smaller man's face since he'd met him.

"Jeff, _this_ is why we fight. Come on, we've got to evacuate the other hybrids" he stated as he lead the way, creating a cart and letting everyone pile in before he pushed off and grinned as they all sped down a hill, aiming for downtown.

From behind him, the east side began to burn.

=Hart Dynasty=

"I don't think we can beat them" Sheamus grunted as Roman worked on healing him. The liger sent him a dark look, but he ignored it completely.

"These guys…they're not like Taker" He sighed, running a hand down his face. Hunter was right behind Roman, hands clasped behind his back. "What does that mean? Report." He ordered. Sheamus growled in annoyance at getting talked down to, but began to explain.

"They don't target hybrids and elementals. They're killing humans who suppress them. I think they've got the mindset of "take back what's ours". They won't stop killing until humans all over the world get the message to stop using our kind like tools" He explained. Hunter's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"Sounds like you're on their side"

"I didn't say that, fella. Just that it's something to consider. It's good to know the enemy's mindset when you go into battle" he shrugged. Hunter sighed and nodded, looking over at Shawn, who was talking with Drew as Kharma healed them. Dean was leaning against the wall beside them when he spoke.

"Did you see any signs of Jeff while you were fighting?" he questioned. Sheamus shook his head, sighing when Roman finally finished healing him.

"No sign of him. Not even a mention" he murmured. Dean nodded and looked away. "Great. Just great." He grunted. Drew stood once Kharma was done, smiling her way before he snatched up his sword and stormed out of the room, eyes dark. Everyone watched him go and Sheamus chuckled, scratching his head before he stood.

"I'll clean up the training room this time. Goodnight lads, and you too Kharma" he nodded respectfully and walked away to the Dungeon. He heard Drew before he even got to the door and sure enough, he was in there, slashing everything in sight. Sheamus watched him for a moment.

"Drew, stop. It's not your fault."

"The hell it's not. She kicked my ass. If it weren't for that other chick, I would've died. I'm _still_ not strong enough!" Drew snarled and tossed his sword down, slamming his fist into the wooden dummy, the wood splintering upon impact and injuring him. He didn't care and simply continued to pummel the dummy in his blind rage. Sheamus strolled up to him and pulled him against his chest, burying his nose into the crook of Drew's neck.

"That's enough. Get your ass upstairs" he ordered. Drew shuddered when Sheamus nipped at his neck and he turned, meeting the elemental's eyes before nodding and bowing his head down, jogging out of the room with Sheamus right on his heels.

He'd barely stepped foot in the shower when Sheamus pressed him against the shower wall, stealing a kiss. Drew melted against him, his arms wrapping around Sheamus' broad shoulders as he pulled him in closer, his tail wrapping around Sheamus' waist and subtly pulling him closer. When they broke away, Drew looked at him, his hair clinging to his face and his lips swollen in the best way.

"Are we gonna…?"

"Not with that injury"

Drew huffed. "I'm not injured." He protested. Sheamus cocked a brow and brushed his fingers over the back of Drew's knee, sidestepping when the man almost kicked him. "Ow, fuck!" he snarled. Sheamus sent him a smug look and he blushed, looking away.

"Yeah, yeah. We'll fucking cuddle then."

=W/ Punk=

Phil rubbed his eyes, scanning through the reports he'd taken from Hunter about the attacks. He was trying to find some sort of pattern…some clue as to where Jeff would be or what area they would strike next. Renee was sitting outside on the balcony, staring up at the moon.

"Would you like me to scour the area? I can check to see if there are any compounds I overlooked the last time" she offered from her spot. Punk sighed.

"You checked the surrounding area 5 times today" he reminded her. She looked back out into the darkness of the night.

"But you'd feel better the more I looked. I want to find him too. I will return in an hour or so" she whispered before she pushed herself off of the balcony, dropping a few feet before she took flight.

Punk didn't even look her way. He was busy clutching at his hair, growling in frustration. He had to find Jeff, had to apologize to him for everything. He looked over to a drawer, sliding the papers out of his lap and slowly approaching it. He slid open the drawer and peered inside. A brand new collar lay inside, Jeff's Hardy pendent shined and repaired, dangling on it. Punk grabbed the edges of the drawer hard, uncaring of the sting it left to his palms.

"Jeff…please be okay…"

=Meanwhile…=

"Alright, alright. Party time is over" Adam yawned. The Rosebuds all cooed in disappointment, but followed his order and settled down in sleeping bags on the floor. Jeff laughed at the childish look on some of their faces and he looked over to Adam, who had pulled his ponytail out of his hair, setting it aside. He felt eyes on him and looked up.

"What's wrong, bunny?" he questioned. Jeff crossed his arms and rocked on the balls of his feet. "You were great today. Why did you ask me to decide what happened to that woman?" he questioned. Adam kicked off his shoes and laid back, his hands underneath his head.

"Because you're part of the team now. We all may not seem compatible, but we all trust each other out there in the fight. Just like Lana earlier, using herself as bait."

"Nephthys, right?"

"Yep. Lana is her adopted human name."

"Why did she do that?"

"To check the humanity of the city. She purposely made herself look weak, helpless, alone, and scared. No one kind of heart stopped to help and she would've been taken advantage of and sold, if she were actually weak like she portrayed. Even after she ran, screaming for help, no one moved to help her. That was the deciding point."

"What if someone stopped to help her?"

"The whole town wouldn't have gone up in flames. We would still be out there, ridding it of the humans like those guys or that pet shop owner and freeing enslaved hybrids and elementals."

Jeff nodded in understanding and sat down beside Adam on the bed.

"Have you ever killed a hybrid or an elemental while liberating an area?"

"We don't have to. If the Stockholm Syndrome is that bad with them, they sit there with their fallen oppressor. They go up in flames with the rest of the town. We don't force them to come with us" Adam sighed. Jeff nodded and sighed. Adam nudged him with his foot.

"Hey, don't get upset. There's always a few casualties to both sides of a war. We can't save the ones that don't wish to be saved. Don't dwell on it. Head off to bed. We could have a mission tomorrow as well" Adam told him, yawning. Jeff's brows furrowed.

"I don't have a room"

"Just share the bed with me. It's big enough" Adam told him as he rolled onto his side. Jeff slid down, settling in and laying on his side, exhaustion finally tugging at him. He heard Adam from behind him before he drifted off.

"Goodnight, bunny"

"G'night, Adam"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Goddess & Superpower of the Chapter:
> 
> Nephthys & Blood Manipulation
> 
> Nephthys is the Egyptian Goddess of Death , lament and mourning, sleep, rivers, the night, and the home . She is the sister of Isis and the mother of Anubis. Although a death goddess, she also represents rebirth, thus, she is the protector of the Phoenix, the firebird known to be reborn after death. Nephthys is often feared and in turn, is often neglected and misunderstood. She is often represented by one of two sacred birds, a hawk or a falcon.
> 
> Blood Manipulation The ability to create and/or manipulate the blood of oneself or others. People with blood manipulation could possibly have a variety of attacks, the most dangerous of which being the manipulation of an enemy's blood to kill them from the inside before they could even react. People who use blood manipulation often kill without actually drawing any blood.
> 
> Character of the Goddess w/ the power: Lana)


	24. Chapter 24

_'"Seth! Run faster!"_

_"No shit! Go, run up the fire escape"_

_"What about you?"_

_"Just go!"_

_"Seth? Seth, grab my hand!"'_

Seth shot up, shouting in surprise when he suddenly felt like he was falling. Dean jolted up at the sound, pale eyes narrowed as he glanced around the room, reaching underneath the pillows for one of Roman's knives. He blinked in confusion when he saw that there was no threat. His gaze shifted to Seth.

The two toned cat was panting, eyes wide. He was staring at the opposite side of the room, eyes far away. Dean grunted and ruffled his hair, snapping Seth back to attention. "Hey. Having nightmares about Taker again?" he questioned. Seth shook his head, looking down.

"I don't…no, nothing to do with him. I couldn't even see who was in it with me, but someone was calling to me. It…it almost felt like I'd been there before. Like I went through that situation." Seth looked down at his hand. He was shaking. Dean hummed thoughtfully.

"So, like a memory?"

"I think..?"

Dean stood, offering Seth his hand. Seth looked at him in mild confusion. "C'mon. We don't want to wake the big cat up while we're talking" Dean told him as he gestured to the sleeping Samoan liger beside Seth. The Sub nodded and took Dean's hand, following him silently out to the balcony after Dean grabbed a cigarette. He lit it and leaned against the balcony, taking a long drag from it.

"When did this start?"

"When I met those Wyatt Family people when I was trying to save Jeff."

Dean's eyes narrowed slightly. "Go on" he urged, blowing smoke out of his nose. Seth sent him a small smile before he looked out at the forest. He could see the charred town over some of the trees and he immediately looked away.

"They knew my name. Talked to me like they knew me…The girl, Paige, looked the most upset…I told Leighla this too and she thinks I might've lost a huge chunk of my memory when Taker and Summer started messing with my memories." Seth told him. Dean sent him a sideways glance.

"That implies that you were with them at some point, and that it was more personal if they got so upset that you didn't remember. I don't know a damn thing about you except that Taker plucked you up one night, killed your family, and kept you until you managed to escape one night. From the looks of it, even you don't have a 100% understanding on what happened before that" He muttered, finishing his cigarette and flicking it away without a care, blowing the final puff of smoke out. Seth watched it rise into the air until it disappeared. He looked down at his hands, worrying his lip between his teeth.

"What…what if I was somehow connected to them? What if I was forced to forget? Sir?" Seth looked to his side, not liking how his questions were going unanswered.

Dean had already went back in the room.

=Wyatt Manor=

"I'm going to go visit Liberty Village, wanna come?" Bayley cooed as she walked up to Jeff and Adam. The latter was sleeping, his face tucked in his arms while Jeff sent her a look, a smile tugging at his lips. "Liberty Village? That's the whitest, most American name ever" he snickered. Bayley smiled back and shrugged. "Ironically, Emma was the one to name it. You coming or not?" she questioned. Jeff nodded and stood, shaking Adam until he woke up.

"Hm?"

"We're going to go Liberty Ville"

Bayley giggled from behind him and Adam smiled, standing up and following them out. It was only a 15 minute walk away from the Manor, and Jeff's jaw dropped when he got to the Village.

It was _huge._

Jeff expected to be small, with a few members of the Family on patrol around the area. He was met with an area that could hardly be called a "village". It was easily a city, a festival of lights. There were buildings all over, and Jeff could see that the businesses were all run by elementals or hybrids. He blinked a few times to make sure it was real. Adam saw his reaction and chuckled.

"Welcome to Liberty Village"

"This is a city, don't you lie to me"

"That's what I said, but apparently, Liberty City is some game, so...y'know"

Jeff sent him a look and they walked further into the city. Jeff noticed how…happy and alive everyone looked in this place. "Adam! Bayley!" a shop owner cried, stopping them in their tracks. It was a Lamia. Her upper body was normal, but from the waist down, she had the thick body of a serpent. She slithered closer to them, her cheeks red from how fast she had to go to catch up. She had a basket in her arms. "Hello, hello! I've just got finished with a batch of sweets. Would you mind taking this back to the Manor with you and sharing with everyone? I made enough for…" she trailed off, looking at Jeff. Her eyes grew.

"Oh no, oh no! Are you with them, dear?"

Jeff nodded.

"I didn't make enough! I didn't know there was a new member of the Family! Please, forgive me!" she yelped. Jeff held his hands up to her, eyes wide. "Woah, woah, it's okay! I don't mind. Maybe next time?" he questioned. She looked up at him and shook her head.

"You're so sweet…no. I must make another for you, I must!"

"No worries, Ginger. I'll split mine with him" Adam offered. Ginger's face lit up and she nodded. She was about to slither away when she stopped, turning back around and looking at Jeff. "You, what is your name?" She questioned. "Jeff. Jeff Hardy" he told her. She nodded and smiled at him, her fangs poking out.

"Okay Jeff. I'll be sure to make more next time. Ta ta!"

With that, she slithered away and Jeff watched her go. Adam reached into the basket, pulling out two sweet buns. Bayley took one, munching happily on it as she continued walking. Adam gave the other one to Jeff. "You said you'd split it" he stated as he looked down at it. It was still fairly warm.

"It's fine. Lana gets mad at me when I eat too many sweets"

Jeff hummed thoughtfully and took a bite, his eyes lighting up. "Holy hell" he cooed as Adam laughed, pulling him along so they wouldn't lose Bayley. "I know. You wouldn't expect serpents to be good cooks. It's a pleasant surprise" he said, walking up to the hospital. Bayley was already at the receptionist desk, blissfully unaware of the man's flirting. He stopped when he saw Adam, however.

"Adam, it's nice to see you. I'm guessing you're here to see the people you liberated last night?" he questioned. Adam nodded and the man pointed, leaning slightly over the counter. "You know the room. Right down the hall, to the left" he instructed. Adam noticed how close the other man was leaning to Bayley. He arched a brow and Bayley let out a happy squeal. "Let's go see them!" she cheered, darting down the hall. The man jolted and lost his balance, falling against the counter. Jeff sent him a questioning look and Adam laughed, placing a lollipop on the counter beside the man.

"Maybe next time, friend"

He walked away with that, Jeff following him close behind. They both walked in the room to see Emma and Sasha finishing up healing the hybrids. Emma was working on a kitten girl when she looked up, blinking at the mask on Emma's face. She reached up.

"Gimme?"

Her mother came over, picking her up. "Sweetie, no. Ms. Emma is a raccoon and they love their masks. It's precious to them" she told her. Emma smiled softly and went into her bag, pulling out a small mask that was covered in cheetah print and glitter. She slid it over the small kitten's face and kissed her forehead.

"There. All better?"

"Yes! Thank you, Ms. Emma! I'll treasure it forever!"

Sasha yawned and stood. "There. All done. You all are free to do whatever you wish after this point. If you wish to return to the outside, Delta Team will escort you to wherever you wish to go, just meet with Tyler over there," she pointed to the blonde in the far corner of his room, busy making duckfaces into the camera of his phone as he snapped pictures of himself. Sasha deadpanned and Adam slid into one, making bunny ears behind the man. He twitched in annoyance.

"I'll kill you right now."

"Don't be a lemon, Breezy~"

Sasha ran a hand down her face as the two began darting around the room, with Adam grinning like mad and Tyler cursing the very ground he walked upon, swinging his phone wildly. "And somehow, we're Omega Team" she grumbled. She looked up to continue, but stopped when she saw Bayley had joined them in running around the room. She facepalmed and let out a grunt.

"What my partner was trying to say is, if you don't wish to leave, you all are free to stay. Liberty Village is open to all that we've rescued. Don't worry about jobs or housing, we can find something for all of you" Emma told them. All of them smiled and relaxed and once Adam had successfully tired Tyler out (the blonde gave up after Bayley flew into him with a hug), he stopped beside her. "Good! Come with me, I'll be the one issuing the housing to you all. Lana will be here in the morning. Bunny," Adam turned to Jeff at that point, handing him the basket of sweets.

"Stay with Emma. I'll be back in like an hour" he told him before he walked out with the group.

Emma shrugged and lead him out to the highest point in town. She sat down cross-legged at the foot of a large, drooping tree and Jeff followed her lead. With the branches dipping so low, he noted that they were practically hidden from view. They both leaned against the tree, and Emma reached into the basket, taking two. Jeff looked at her.

"She said she only made enough for one each"

"Tyler won't eat sweets. He thinks it'll make him fat, thus, ruining his stupid "photogenic" face"

Jeff hummed in acknowledgement. She ate in silence for a few minutes before she wiped her mouth. "We ran into a few of your buddies yesterday. They seemed pretty upset when they saw us" she hummed. Jeff tensed. "Describe them?" he questioned. She tapped her chin.

"A Scottish cat with a sword and a nasty attitude and a pasty Irish Earth elemental. Put up a bit of a fight but it got boring fast. Don't tell me that's the strongest you've guys got. They were lucky that Lord Bray called us back, or we would've killed them right then and there" She told him. Jeff sighed and she watched him closely.

"Why did you willingly come with us if you're still attached to them?"

"I have no problems with any of them. Except her. She…she ruined my relationship"

"The angel girl Lord Bray keeps talking about, right?"

Jeff clenched his fists. "She came in from nowhere. She doesn't belong with them. But they saved her too and what's the first thing she does? She steals him away from me" he growled. Emma scoffed and Jeff glared at her.

"Something funny?"

"A real man would never let himself be stolen. He's a Dominant, first and foremost. He took a responsibility to take care of you trough toughest of times, and instead, he went into the arms of someone else. Am I right to assume he and her fucked?" she questioned. Jeff looked away and Emma nodded, clicking her tongue.

"I'll take that as a yes. Well, ask yourself, did he ever once stop when she had her legs wrapped around his waist, to think about how you felt? About how you were struggling and trying to recover? No? Then fuck him and her too. We don't need someone as ignorant as the humans" she huffed. Jeff flared up slightly.

"Don't. He made a mistake! He won't do it again!"

"Is this what it's like to talk to a victim of domestic abuse?" Emma responded flatly. Jeff instantly deflated and she crossed her arms. "You love him, I can see that, but you need to think for yourself first and foremost." She told him. He looked over at her. "What would you do in my situation?" he questioned.

"Bury them both together. I'm too good to be treated that way and so are you."

"You seem proud."

"I am. I have no reason not to be"

Jeff fidgeted under her gaze, needing to find something to shift the conversation away from him. He noticed the mask on her face.

"Why do you wear a mask then?"

"I'm a raccoon" she responded flatly.

"I've seen raccoons who don't wear masks"

"I swear, if you're mistaking raccoon hybrids and ferret hybrids, I'll claw your eyes out"

Jeff sighed and looked away.

"I just don't get it. If you're so proud of who and what you are, why do you wear a mask? It doesn't hide anything from the outside world" He muttered. Emma arched a brow and smiled.

"Trying to divert attention away from you? Okay, I'll humor you. I don't wear it to hide myself from the outside world. I'm proud to be who I am. I'm proud to be what I am. But this mask is part of me. A part of my past and my life I can't simply let go. Taking this off and getting rid of it is me giving up who I am, and that's something no one can ever make me do" she stood, dusting herself off before she offered her hand to Jeff, who took it after a beat of hesitation. Emma pushed away a few branches and motioned to the city below.

"Look around you. You're surrounded by people who've been hurt by the way the world is. We fight for change. Everyone here has a mask. I'm just the only one brave enough to wear it upon my face" she finished, a breeze blowing past them. Jeff looked down at the city and sighed. She looked back at him and sent him a smile.

"Don't worry. I'm done ranting. Let's go, Adam got here ten minutes ago" she told him. Jeff looked around before he noticed Emma looking up. He looked up as well, finding the mentioned man standing at the very top of the tree, eyes fixed on the horizon. He looked down and smiled at them.

"You're little chat is over? Come, we need to report to Lord Bray"

=Hart Dynasty=

Leighla tilted her head, poking Seth's cheek. He was doing a handstand beside her, his face scrunched up in conversation.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to remember"

"You look like an idiot."

Seth flipped so he was on his feet and he sat down beside her. "The only constant is you. Can you tell me about my past?" he questioned. Leighla stared at him for a moment before she sighed. "Are you sure? " she inquired. Seth opened his mouth and Heath ran in.

"Seth! Leighla!" he panted, stopping in front of them. They both looked up and he wiped his brow for a moment. "Wow that was a run…Master found something interesting!" he told them, holding out the book he and Justin had bought Wade. Seth looked at him in mild confusion.

"What is it?"

"Did you know your town had a huge massacre 5 years ago?" he questioned, looking at them excitedly. Seth's eyes grew and Leighla clicked her tongue quietly.

"What does the book say?" she questioned.

"It says that a group of hybrids and elemental teens snapped one day, burning down pet shops and killing pet owners all around the town. They weren't caught. Do you think it's the Wyatts? Why would they kill pet owners though? Do they have something against cats and dogs?" Heath questioned, looking at the book incredulously.

"By pet owners, it means people who've bought hybrids or elementals. People like you and I. That group did the same thing the Wyatt Family did, and that's kill people who use our kinds as tools or toys" Drew muttered from across the room. He was still sulking from his encounter with the two Wyatt Family members the other day. Heath's tail tucked slightly inwards.

"O-oh…Justin and I were almost sold off by our families to pay debts they owed. We had to run away from home." He shuddered.

"It happens more often than anyone would like to talk about" Leighla sighed, taking his book from him. It was a book about the strange happenings in the town where she and Seth had come from. She scanned the article, relaxing slightly when she saw there was no description of the accused.

"I…I suddenly don't feel safe" Heath whined, his whole posture screaming distress. Leighla responded to him but Seth couldn't hear her. There was a white noise in his ear and his head started to swim. The whole world shifted and bent in ways they weren't supposed to and suddenly he felt sick.

Heath yelped when Seth shot up suddenly, bolting to the nearest bathroom. He emptied the contents of his stomach into the porcelain bowl and groaned, his head breaking out in a cold sweat. He waited until he was sure there was no more and he flushed it, moving to the sink to wash his mouth out and throw water on his face. When he looked up, he was looking at himself, but younger.

_'A band-aid under his eye, both of his fists wrapped in bandages from the injuries he'd gotten from fighting. He growled lowly, leering at his reflection._

_"If you keep looking at yourself like that, you're face will get stuck, love" came the voice of a young teen. He grunted and looked over to the door, finding a pale beauty staring at him._

_"Doesn't matter what I look like as long as we get shit done" he huffed. She rolled her eyes and came forward, placing a hand on his arm._

_"Come on, Seth. The rest of the guys are waiting. It's now or never" '_

Seth coughed, clenching the sink in a white-knuckled grip, eyes wide. "Paige…that was definitely Paige. What the _fuck_ is going on?!" he hissed, clenching his head. The door opened and he looked over to it. It was Roman. He looked at him in confusion before petting his head.

"Are you alright? Heath said you looked pretty upset about something."

Seth looked him in the eyes. He could hear his heart pounding a mile a minute. He should tell Roman now. He had no idea what he'd seen, if it was real or not, but he should definitely tell his Dom what he'd seen.

"I'm fine. Might've ate something bad" he lied. Roman stared at him for a moment before he grunted. "Hunter wants us to take a team out to scout an area. It's full of bitchy rich guys that "don't wanna die"." He grunted. Seth frowned.

"Aren't we a little too busy to be playing bodyguard?" he questioned. Roman snorted.

"My thoughts exactly"

=Midnight=

Seth trailed slightly behind Roman and Dean as they weaved through a warehouse. The higher-ups there were terrified of getting attacked by the Wyatts, so they were stuck there, making sure their "precious cargo" got there safe. Dean was grumbling angrily in front, eyes narrowed as he looked around.

"We should be looking for leads. Not this shit" he growled. Roman rolled his eyes. "Hunter calls the shots when it comes to missions. Stop bitching. We weren't the only team stuck here" he scolded. Dean's eyes flickered over to Renee and Punk, who were slightly ahead. Dean huffed. "Another thing, out of all the people sent here, why did _we_ have to team with those two? I'm not even sure one's combat ready" he complained. He sidestepped when a ball of fire came flying his way.

"We can hear, Dean" Punk growled, putting his flaming hand down. "I know, s'why I said it" Dean responded sassily. Punk grunted and turned back, choosing to ignore Dean before the two of them got into a fight. He looked down at his hand. He had brought along Jeff's new collar with the hopes that he could convince the rainbow haired rabbit to come back if he apologized and presented it.

Seth felt a shift and his ear twitched, a chill running down his spine. He suddenly felt like he was being watched. He stopped walking and turned, scanning the area behind them. He saw nothing but the darkness of the warehouse. The lights barely did it any justice. Seth squinted and could've sworn he saw something dart by just as he was going to turn back. The fur on his tail bristled and he suddenly felt like they were being hunted. He turned back quickly and snatched Roman's wrist, catching the older man's attention. He looked down at him and noticed how ridged Seth was.

"What's wrong?"

"They're here. They're watching us. Can't you feel it?" he questioned. Roman looked around, sniffing the air for a moment before he looked back down at Seth. "I don't smell anything new. Don't be so jumpy" he teased, ruffling Seth's hair before he turned and continued walking. Seth stared at him for a moment before he looked behind him, shuddering and jogging to catch up.

Up in front, Punk's eyes squinted as he found a hatch. "Hold this for a sec" he told Renee as he passed the collar to her so he could bend down and open it. When he did, he was met with a group of malnourished hybrids. They scattered to the far corners of the small room when the hatch opened, but carefully crept back into view when they saw Punk wasn't attacking them.

"Holy hell, what happened to you guys?" he questioned. Dean, Seth, and Roman were at his side in a flash and they froze.

"P-please help us…m-my ma is weak and cannot go on anymore. Don't let Boss come back and hurt her anymore…" a small squirrel girl whimpered, kneeling next to a sickly woman who looked like she was a cough away from death. Renee got on her knees by the hatch and gently plucked a feather from one of her tucked in wings. It gleamed gold and she let it flutter into the room. She did the best she could to heal and restore the hybrids in there, but once the light dimmed, she saw that a few of them were dead before they got there.

"This is terrible. We didn't sign up to help save those criminals." Seth hissed, helping the traumatized hybrids out of the hatch.

"See? That's what we've been trying to tell you, but you keep being stubborn" A different voice called. Seth tensed before he looked up, spotting a group of people standing above one of the trucks parked in the warehouse. Punk perked up as well.

"Jeff!" he called, hopping back up to his feet. Renee followed his lead, jumping to the air and flying after him as he broke into a run towards Jeff.

Lana clicked her tongue and looked over at Jeff. "What do you wish to do?" she questioned. She blinked in mild surprise when she saw the absolute rage and fury burning in Jeff's eyes. His jaw was set and he was clenching his fists so tight, they were white. Adam noticed as well and flicked his hand up, lifting both Punk and Renee with his magic.

"I don't think the bunny is happy to see you." He told them politely. Punk snarled and fought against it, firing a fireball at the group. Bo swiped his hand to the side, directing the fireball away. He beamed at the look of surprise on Punk's face. "That's a fight you do not wanna start. We're just here for our wounded brethren and the ones coming in in that cargo ship tonight" He told them. Viktor noticed the way Roman and Dean exchanged a look of confusion and he nudged Konnor. The man scoffed.

"Oh, don't tell me you came here not knowing what that "precious cargo" was. It's our own kind. Look in that hatch, that's what those motherfuckers in charge do. Fun, ain't it?" he sneered. Rusev jumped down from one of the upper levels, landing with one of said 'men-in-charge'. Seth growled.

"You! Is this true? Have you been using hybrids for slave labor?!" he snapped. The chubby man held his hands up, laughing nervously.

"Now, now. It's a business strategy, you see. Hybrids and elementals last longer than humans, so it makes sense to employ-"

" _Enslave_ " Seth corrected, vision slowly bleeding to red. Roman and Dean took immediate notice to the change in mood and both of them watched him cautiously.

"Hey! You're supposed to be on my side! Come help me from these maniacs!" the man barked. Dean slowly turned his head towards the man and Roman growled. That was distinctly an order directed to their Sub and it rubbed them both the wrong way. Seth shook his head.

"I should fucking shoot you myself" he spat.

Lana clapped. "Exactly. Look closely at this man. What comes out of his mouth is how nearly all humans see any other kind that isn't their own. We're useless. We're trash. We're tools. Isn't that right, Mr. Executive?" she purred, looking over at him. He glared at her.

"You're just a bunch of disobedient freaks who don't get the world order. One day someone will put you all in cages" he snarled, spitting in their direction. It landed on Bo's shoe. The man was smiling up until the point where he'd realized that every last one of them were leering darkly at him. Adam tsked and shook his head, turning his back to the man. "You really shouldn't have done that." He sighed, but his tone-which was a lot less cheerful than usual-suggested he couldn't care less about the man's error.

Because it was about to be corrected.

Lana stepped away. "Rusev, down" she ordered. The hulking Bulgarian dropped the man and stepped back as well just as Bo turned quickly on the balls of his feet, slamming his fist into the side of the man's jaw. He pounced on him, eyes wild as he grabbed him by the head and slammed it repeatedly against the truck top. He was grinning ear to ear, uncaring of the man trying to scratch and claw his way free. He was still slamming the man against the truck well after he'd killed him, laughing to himself with splotches of blood on his cheeks. Adam walked up to him and grabbed his shoulder and Bo twitched, looking up at the older man. Adam was gazing down at the remaining group.

"That's enough, Bo. We're here on a mission. You can have fun later" he told him. Bo hummed and stood, kicking the man clean off the side before he swung his legs over the side of the truck, grinning happily.

Punk shook his head. "Enough of this. Jeff, get down here" he ordered. Jeff stared at him for the longest while before his eyes looked over to the area right beside him. His eyes met Renee and she stared adamantly back at him. "Jeff, you need to listen for a moment. Punk and I are very sorry for what happened. Come down here, I'm sure we can work this all out" she told him. Jeff's eyes narrowed at her.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" he growled. She looked taken back and Jeff scoffed, standing closer to the edge of the truck's roof. "You think I'm gonna sit back and let you boss me around after all the shit I've had to go through because of you? Bitch, have you lost your mind?" he growled. She stood firmer and leered at him.

"You're being disobedient."

"You don't fucking own me."

"But he does, and he told you to come down here. I don't know what evil things they've told you, but you can't turn your back on your friends like that. You're hurting them. That makes you a traitor." She hissed. Jeff stared at her in surprise before he laughed.

"Traitor? _Traitor?!_ You wanna fucking know who's a traitor? You're ungrateful ass, abandoning Aksana when all she was trying to do was protect and save you. _You're_ the one that ripped a fucking sword from her back without second thought. But _I'm_ the traitor? No, I'm just fucking tired of being ignored or overshadowed because of you. Where the fuck did you even come from that makes you think ruining _my_ relationship without a second thought was okay? You wanna fucking talk about hurting? Huh?!" Jeff ripped his sleeves up and extended his arms, showing them all in clear view the scars littering them. Konnor and Viktor shifted slightly, Lana leered, and Adam bit down on his lollipop, eyes hard.

"Where the fuck were you when this was happening, Phil? What about you, Renee? Oh, let me remind you in case you forgot, you two were so far up each other's asses that you didn't even _know_ the fucking _agony_ I was going through until the night I left. Don't you _dare_ try to make me the fucking villain. These 'evil people' have been more kind to me in three days than you two assholes in a fucking month! I was struggling to recover from something that wasn't my fault and you two were so busy being selfish motherfuckers that you couldn't even see that I needed help. I needed my Dom and he wasn't there. And who the _fuck_ told you we were fucking friends?" he exploded, face red and tears streaming down his face. Punk bristled when Jeff used his actual name and Renee looked away, arms dropping. That's when Jeff noticed her holding the collar with his emblem on it.

"Oh, _hell_ no!" he snarled, jumping clean off the top and lunging for her. "Bunny, wait!" Adam tried to catch him and snatch him back, but he was too fast and he ran full-speed for Renee, eyes glowing a violent green. Konnor and Viktor exchanged a look before they smirked.

"Looks like our team mate is pretty passionate about this fight. What kind of team mates would we be if we didn't help?" Konnor cooed before he jumped down as well with Viktor and Bo. Adam sighed and looked over to Lana. She sent him an emotionless look. "Go. He's too emotional on his own. I will keep Rusev here unless they have backup" she told him and Adam nodded, leaping after Jeff.

The man had tried to wring Renee's neck when Punk ran in front of her, grabbing Jeff and violently twisting him around with his hands behind his head. "Enough! I said stop it!" he growled. Jeff felt his knees buckle for a moment before he recovered, snarling and swinging his head back, catching Punk off-guard and cracking him right in the nose. Jeff slammed his foot down to Punk's freeing himself before he lunged at Renee, a paint bomb in-hand. She dodged it and flew sharply to her right, trying to get some distance on them. Jeff was right behind her, his hands now glowing, flashing violently with different colors. Punk reeled for a moment and growled, going to run after Jeff when he was kicked hard in the side of the head. It sent him flying to the ground and Adam stood a few feet away, a lollipop dangling from his mouth.

"I don't think you need to get involved in that any more than you already have. Let the bunny let his frustrations out. Maybe you should hang out on the floor for a bit? Think about your life?" he suggested. Punk snarled and fired a blast at him. Adam caught it with no problem and squeezed his hand into a fist, the fire being put out. He shook his head. "No? No thinking? Okay." He slammed the heel of his foot to the ground and Punk's eyes grew as the ground tore up underneath him. He shouted in surprise and landed in another one of the underground chambers, jolting when he noticed the rotting smell and the skeletons within. Adam approached the opening in the ground and jumped down, fist blazing gold. Punk's eyes grew and he rolled away, barely making it as Adam landed, completely breaking the slab of concrete Punk was on previously. He shook his fist out and looked over to him, eyes half-lidded.

"Hey, wanna take up on that offer now? I'm not really in the mood to fight and I want to make sure bunny is okay" he told him, looking back up at the opening of the hole. He could hear Jeff's roars of fury and the other conflict going on above. Punk glared darkly at him, his body warming up so much, the room began to heat up, the metal walls melting. Adam could see the heat waves all around him as he watched the shorter man stand up.

"Just who are you and why are you so attached to my Sub?" he snarled. Adam plucked his lollipop out of his mouth, seemingly unaffected by the blistering temperature of the room. He stared carefully at Punk. "Why are you still calling him that? It looks like he's had it with all the pain you were causing him. He doesn't belong to you anymore. And as for me, I'm just looking out for someone I care for. I don't see a problem with that" he stated, tossing his lollipop aside. Punk's temper surged and he ran full-speed at him. Adam sighed and braced himself. "You just had to make this difficult" he grunted.

From above, Roman and Dean had their hands full with the Ascension. The two used their environment to their advantage, weaving in and out of the shadows. Dean snarled, the braces on his fists blazing while Roman glanced around carefully, several knives shrouded in razor-sharp ice in his hands. "Dean, calm down, I can't sense them if you're getting worked up in my ear" he scolded. Dean growled and leered at him. "Go fuck yourself. We're getting our asses beat and you're blaming me?" he snarled. Just as he said that, Konnor appeared from behind a crate, spinning and kicking him hard in the jaw. Roman cursed and finally felt Viktor shift behind him. He turned and threw his knives.

Viktor dodged all of them except one.

The one he caught between his teeth.

He grinned around it and spit it out, catching it and tossing it back. It zoomed right past Roman and hit Dean in the shoulder. He hissed and Konnor uppercutted him, smirking. "C'mon, you two have got to be stronger than this if you're calling yourselves Seth's Dominants" He taunted. Dean bristled and Roman roared, spearing Konnor. The man laughed energetically and kept the momentum, rolling with it and tossing Roman clean off. Viktor came to Konnor's side, crouching and grinning while Konnor smirked over at the two infuriated feline Dominants. "Oh, you're angry? Good. Maybe now you'll be a challenge"

"You really don't remember, huh?" Bo hummed as he danced around the bullets Set was shooting his way. Seth snarled, standing with his feet apart and his eyes narrowed. "You seem like you know the answer. I'm having flashes here and there, but I saw Paige. Tell me, what the hell is going on? What am I supposed to remember?" he questioned. Bo tilted his head. "So you're remembering fragments. But you don't remember it all. Leighla is slacking" he sighed. Seth's eyes narrowed. "How do you know Leighla?" he questioned. Bo's smile grew. "I should know her. We were all raised together" he cooed. Seth stared at him, unconsciously lowering his pistols.

"Wait, back up"

"Nope, maybe if I hit you a bit more, you'll remember"

With that, Bo darted forward and went to punch Seth, but the two toned feline grabbed his wrist, tossing him over his head. "No! Tell me what I want to know!" he snapped. Bo looked up at him with half-lidded eyes. "Beat me. Beat me and I'll tell you. C'mon, you can do it if you bo-lieve! See what I did there?" he questioned cheekily. Seth clicked his tongue and put his pistols away, clenching his fists and readying himself. "Very well."

Renee made a sharp left, dodging the colorful elemental explosions behind her. Jeff growled and looked up at Lana, fists clenched. She stared down at him before she brushed her hand to the left. Renee froze and flew unwillingly to the left, towards Jeff. Jeff nodded as a small thank you to Lana and caught Renee, his hands glowing violently.

"Gotcha."

He leapt up and slammed her to the ground before throwing down bomb after bomb. Each color represented a different element and sent violent courses of pain through her upon impact, she curled her wings in around herself and tried to think of a strategy. Jeff growled and stormed up to her, slamming his foot against the tight bundle of feathers. Renee grabbed his foot the third time and tossed him to the side, emerging with her sword drawn. Jeff flipped and landed on his feet, glaring spitefully at her. She stared at him, holding her sword with both hands, eyes hard.

"Stop this. I know you're angry, but Punk is only trying to apologize and make things better"

"You don't know a damn thing."

"Why won't you just accept his apology?!"

Jeff stared at her before he shook his head. "You really don't get it" he chuckled emotionlessly. He was about to lunge at her again when he suddenly felt the ground below him crack. The ground shook violently and Jeff could feel the temperature rising below his feet. Lana noticed this too and she leapt down from the truck, running out and spreading her arms wide, a barrier appearing around her.

"Get in!" she snapped.

"Aw man, looks like our captain got pissed" Bo pouted, dodging a kick from Seth and darting away. Konnor and Viktor looked equally disappointed as they disappeared into the shadows and reappeared behind Lana. Jeff growled, not wanting to move from his fight. He trusted Lana, however, and turned, getting behind her. She clenched her fists after Rusev joined them, the barrier solidifying just as the floor erupted.

Renee tucked herself within her wings once more and Roman turned, throwing himself over Dean while Seth threw himself behind a crate.

Adam and Punk emerged from the molten inferno. At first, Jeff thought it was Punk's power. The man being so enraged, his normal fire turned into molten lava. It became very apparent that it wasn't when he was thrown violently out of the lava stream. He hit the ground hard, rolling a few times until he came to a stop. Adam stepped out of the lava, his hair wild and a dark look on his face. Jeff blinked a few times, taken back at the look of rage on his face. Adam looked menacing with that look.

"Oh~ Hi, Leo!" Bo cheered. Jeff looked at them in confusion and Lana crossed her arms. "It's over. He made Leo come out" she hummed. "Leo?" Jeff inquired. Konnor nodded, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Adam wasn't always the bubbly idiot he is now. In his previous life, he was a cold, heartless South African mercenary. His kill streak is pretty impressive, even for us. He was kinda like a hunter, of people. No one really wanted to fuck with him. Sometimes Leo comes out when Adam gets pissed" Konnor explained, watching as the furious Adam rolled his neck on his shoulders, coming closer to the already injured Punk.

"What do you mean previous life?"

"Leo was eventually taken down. It took a group of other mercenaries and he ended up killing 13 of them before he took his 9th bullet, the head shot. Pew~" Viktor chimed in. Jeff made a face at the childish display and Lana watched Adam closely.

"While alive, Leo practiced all kinds of magic, including that of black magic. After he died, he had so much magic built up within him, it brought him back as a Lich. After that, he swore he'd use his new life to try and take life more easier and try not to be as intense as he was before. Thus, Adam Rose was born. But as you can see, he's gone back to being Leo. It's a real delight to see, even for me" she hummed.

Adam hoisted Punk up by his shirt, snarling at him. Punk glared back at him but Renee had gotten back up by then, and she stabbed Adam right through the back. He roared in pain and dropped Punk and Jeff ran to the barrier, eyes wide.

"Adam!" he cried.

Punk looked over at him, eyes wide.

Adam turned and growled at the goddess, eyes narrowed. The strawberry charm on his necklace gleamed and one of his female Rosebuds appeared. She grabbed Renee by the face, slamming her to the ground. She looked back and frowned, grabbing the sword and snatching it out of Adam. She hissed when she did, the purifying aura burning her hands. She dropped it immediately and kicked Renee in the side. Adam held his bleeding stomach and leered at Punk.

"I'm gonna make you sorry you ever hurt him." He growled.

Punk spat out a curse as he attempted to get back to his feet. Adam summoned a ball of lava but he didn't get a chance to throw it when suddenly a loud, near deafening horn blared. He looked up and the Rosebud woman stood straighter. "The cargo ship is here. We can complete the mission" she stated excitedly. Adam visibly relaxed, the ball of lava disappearing as he began to walk off. Lana and the rest of the boys joined him.

"Wait! We're not done here!" Punk barked, fighting against the pain to look up at them. Adam leered back at him and Jeff shook his head, tossing Adam's arm around his neck so he could support him.

"We're more than done here."

With that, Beta Team walked off to liberate the hybrids captive on the ship.

=WM=

"Jeez, you idiot. Letting your guard down" Sasha hissed as she pressed her hands to Bo's face to heal him. Tyler was in the background, cringing slightly. "You let him hit you in the face? What is wrong with you?" he hissed. Sami rolled his eyes from beside him and Alexa sat right beside Bo.

"Was he good in combat? Is he a cutie? C'mon Bo, tell me!" she bounced excitedly beside him and Sasha sent her a flat look. "Bitch, sit your thirsty ass over there until I'm finished healing him!" she barked. Alexa huffed.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Jeff questioned as he walked up to Adam. The man was healing his own injury, a look of pain on his face. He forced a smile at Jeff, however. "I've had worse" he hummed, stretching and cracking his back. Jeff leaned against a wall and looked at him carefully.

"They told me about the whole Leo thing"

"Did they? Well I guess I did lose it out there."

"I never would've expected you and Leo to be the same person if I hadn't seen what I did"

"Good. Means I'm doing something right"

Jeff allowed himself to laugh before he sat down beside Adam on the infirmary bed, pretzel style. Adam tilted his head to one side. "What about you? You seemed to lose it out there too. You alright?" he questioned. Jeff looked away, tracing an unknown pattern onto his neck where his collar usually would be.

"Some scars just won't heal with a hollow I'm sorry." He whispered, more to himself than anyone else. Adam watched him silently and Jeff shook his head, looking over at him once more.

"By the way, what made you so mad?" he questioned. Adam blinked before he rubbed his jaw.

_"Did you even think about how he felt while you were avoiding him?!"_

_"He could've told me this!"_

_"He tried! Apparently everyone tried to tell your dense ass that he was suffering!"_

_"You weren't there. You don't understand a damn thing about this. Jeff is MY Sub, and I'll handle it"_

_"You had your chance to handle it. You let him down."_

_"Renee and I-"_

_"Still, you bring the girl into this. Am I to believe you want to try and reel him back in with you and the very person he hates the most?"_

_"I love Renee just like I love Jeff, and if he loved me, he'd stop acting like this"_

_"I've had enough of this. He's not even allowed to feel hurt? I'll end you my goddamn self."_

Adam cleared his throat and shrugged. "Heat of the moment, I guess" he lied, biting the inside of his cheek to keep the anger within him from creeping back to the surface. Jeff hummed thoughtfully before he crawled over and hugged Adam tight. "Well, thank you" he exhaled. Adam hugged him back and nodded, rubbing his back.

"You're welcome"

=HD=

"We can't keep letting things like this happen" Shawn sighed as he watched Renee, Punk, and Roman disappear into the infirmary. They had extensive injuries, including severe burns from the eruption Adam caused. Hunter ran a hand down his face, eyes narrowed.

"Shit. We've got to deal with the Wyatts and take legal action against any companies like the one that tried to get our help tonight. The nerve of them to enlist the help of hybrids when they're wrongfully using hybrids for slave labor." He grunted. Shawn sighed and leaned back, watching Randy and John make a bunch of calls to lawyers that specified in things like that. Evan was curled up between them, sound asleep.

"It's times like this where I miss Steph. When she and Vince were alive, this wasn't a problem" he grunted. Shawn leaned on him and sighed. "Well, we need to become as tyrannical as they were then. As much as you complained about their tactics, they got shit done when it came to equality for us. Now that they're gone, the world has been divided again between two categories: them and us" he muttered. Hunter mumbled a curse and scratched his head.

"We need to make sure we don't lose any more people to the Wyatts. Although they've got good intentions, and I'm honestly surprised that that's all they want and its not about money and power like Taker was, but the way they're doing this is all wrong." He grunted. Shawn grabbed his hand and closed his eyes, feeling exhausted.

=Meanwhile=

Seth knocked insistently on Leighla's door, jaw set. Bret had given her a room in the mansion so she wouldn't have to take longs trips to and fro to see her friend. The woman opened the door after a full minute of Seth's knocking, and she didn't look the least bit amused.

"What the hell, Seth? It's three in the damn morning! You're not the damn police! What do you want-"

"Bo told me we were raised together. He knows you. I had flashbacks with Paige in them. Tell me what the hell is going on" he pleaded. Leighla's face went blank for a moment before she nodded and stepped inside.

"Get in. You might wanna sit down for this."


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content Warning: Character Death

_It started when they were young. The first time they experienced the hate their kind received was oh so long ago, but it was still vivid enough for it to be etched into their minds. The beginning of what would become a bloody revolution._

_"Seth, push me higher! Higher!" she giggled, clutching the chain to the swing. Seth grinned and pushed her back harder as she came back towards him. Seth shook his head._

_"Abby, I know. Any higher, and you'll fall, though." He told her. Abigail frowned, gripping the chain tighter. "If I fall, you'll catch me, right?" she questioned, brows knitted up. Seth blinked at her._

_"Did you really have to ask?"_

_"Ew, get a room, you two" Another voice called. Seth looked over and frowned in disapproval at Corey. The child was playing ball with Bray across from them. Seth rolled his eyes and continued pushing Abigail, stepping aside when she started kicking her feet out by herself. Bo and Paige were playing in the sandbox while Leighla sat on a low tree branch, sketching them with crayons. They continued on like this, just a normal day at the park._

_Until the human children came, however._

_Abigail was all but shoved off of the swing by a chubby brunette child. She yelped in pain and held her now-bleeding knee, tears gathering in the corner of her eyes. She sniffled and let out a cry, and her brothers were the first ones to move, with Bo running to her side while Bray stood in front of them, growling at the kid._

_"What's wrong with you? You hurt her! Apologize now!" he growled. The kid looked at his friends before laughing. "Why should I? You're just a stupid animal" he scoffed. Corey and Seth joined Bray's side and one of the kids in the group pointed at Seth._

_"Look! He's got ears and a tail! Freak! I bet they're all freaks!" he jeered. Seth hissed and soon they were all going back and forth, arguing. Bray had snapped after a minute or so and swung at the first kid, the one that pushed his sister. That spilled into an all-out brawl between the boys and even Bo jumped up and joined in when Paige and Leighla came to Abby's side._

_The fight was eventually broken up by the parents of the children pulling them back, glaring spitefully at the wounded hybrid-elemental children._

_"C'mon Andy. Stay away from those freaks. They're nothing but untrained animals"_

_The group sat there as the kids were taken away, and once they were clear, Bray stood, coming over to Abigail and kneeling down beside her. She whined, reaching forward and cupping his face, wiping some of the blood that had begun to spill down his nose away. It was useless, and it kept coming. Bray smiled anyway and turned his back to her. She crawled out of Paige's hands and wrapped her pale arms around her big brother's neck, clinging to him as he stood, hooking his arms underneath her knees._

_None of them said a word as they turned and began to limp home, but Seth turned, glaring daggers over at the children that had caused this fight._

_***10 years forward*** _

_"Abby? Abby!" Bray cried, storming every store he could. Seth was at his side, following and asking the startled clerks if they'd seen the girl. He was met with either nasty remarks about filthy animals, or genuine concern and worry from people who didn't have the answers to the questions that he was looking for._

_"You're never gonna find her. She was probably sold to someone by now"_

_Seth twitched, fingers curling as he turned. Andy was there, smirking ever so slightly as he stared down at the two toned cat. Seth snarled and stormed right up to him, snatching him down by his collar. "Where is she?! What did you do to her?" he hissed. Andy snatched his shirt free and shoved Seth aside, scowling._

_"Don't touch me. I don't know if you have fleas or not. And she's probably fine. I just did the civil thing and let Taker's pet shop know that there was a hybrid girl wandering about past her curt view" he grinned. Seth stared at him, eyes wide. He was about to get up and beat him to a pulp, but Corey beat him to it. He came from the side, slamming his fist into Andy's face, and Seth took immediate pleasure when he heard the tell-tale crack and the blood that came splurting out of his nose._

_Andy fell flat on his ass and held his jaw, blood dripping down his lip as well. Corey growled and called to Bray, holding Andy up by his collar. As soon as Bray noticed him, his eyes went wild and the two began to beat the man bloody. Seth stared down at him, eyes dark. Paige walked up to his side._

_"So…we head to Taker's shop later?" she questioned. Seth nodded and joined in on beating Andy, unaware of the other teen's backup heading towards them._

_***Later that Night*** _

_Seth looked at himself in the mirror, growling to himself. There was a band-aid under his eye, both of his fists wrapped in bandages from the injuries he'd gotten from fighting Andy's friends. He growled to himself, leering at his reflection._

_"If you keep looking at yourself like that, your face will get suck, love" Paige scolded him lightly. Seth grunted and looked over at her, a frown set on his face._

_"Doesn't matter what I look like, as long as we get shit done" he huffed. Paige rolled her eyes and came forward, placing a hand on his shoulder._

_"Come on, Seth. The rest of the guys are waiting. It's now or never" she told him as she turned and walked away. Seth nodded to himself and followed her out, stepping out into the night with her and the others. No one said a word as they all climbed into Bray's truck. As soon as Leighla closed the door, he slammed his foot on the gas, speeding off towards the most…"successful" pet shop in the town. Ironically, run by an elemental who simply went by the name "Taker"._

_How fitting._

_Bray stopped behind the pet shop, getting out and growling as he tried to find a way to get in through the back so they could try and get to Abby undetected. "Bo, give me a lift, I'll see what I can do" Paige offered after a moment. Bo nodded and crouched down, his hands cupped together. Paige ran full-speed at him and jumped up. As soon as her boot touched his palms, he threw her forward and let her powerful legs do the rest as she vaulted upwards. She grabbed onto the side of the building and scrambled up, disappearing._

_The teens stood anxiously, waiting for some sign from the inside. Paige opened the back door and motioned for them to get in. They all rushed in, none of their footsteps making the slightest sound as they scoured the cages in the back for their friend._

_"These cages are packed with people" Bo frowned, feeling like the worst person ever when he stepped out of the reach of a little water elemental that reached for him. Leighla nodded and sighed. "You guys go ahead. I'll stay behind with Paige and we'll get these guys out" she told them. The males nodded after a moment's hesitation and disappeared down the hall._

_Minutes ticked on and Bray and Bo began to grow more frantic about finding their sister while Corey and Seth grew more agitated. Corey looked over at Seth, lips pulled back into frown. "I have a sinking feeling about this" he whispered, as not to agitate his two best friends in front. Seth only nodded silently. There was growing sense of dread building in the pit of his stomach and the fur on his tail and ears was standing on end._

_"A-Abigail?" Bray's voice broke. Corey and Seth's heads snapped forward and they stopped abruptly, staring with mouths agape._

_Abigail lay motionless in the center of the last cage, a shock collar around her neck. She was lying face down, and her dress was pulled down, an array of bloody welts down her pale back and they all could see the way her skin was torn. Bo fell to his knees and Bray slowly approached their sister, trembling hands reaching for her and pulling her into his lap._

_Her eyes were wide, but unseeing, pale cataracts over what was once brilliantly electric blue eyes. There were dried tear streaks down her cheeks and her face was bruised. Corey looked away and Seth cursed, punching a wall. Bo crawled forward, trembling hands cupping his sister's face._

_"N-no…she's still warm, see? She's okay…she's gonna be okay" Bo whispered, eyes wide. There were unshed tears in them. Bray didn't say a word, but his eyes went dark. He gently cupped his hand over Abigail's face, closing her eyes before he gently pressed a kiss to her head and slid her out of his lap, placing her hands together. That was when Bo lost it, slamming his fist into the ground._

_"This world wasn't good enough for you" Bray whispered, brushing some of her hair out of her face. Corey cracked his knuckles, fire in his eyes. "We're not gonna let this shit slide" he growled. Seth nodded, eyes dark as he turned and stormed out of the cage just as Paige and Leighla caught up to them._

_"Woah! Where's the fire? What's wrong?" Leighla questioned, grabbing Seth's wrist. He didn't say a word and Corey tapped both her and Paige's shoulders, pointing to Abigail. Leighla's knees buckled and she would've fallen, had Corey not have caught her. Paige stared for a moment before she clenched her fists. "T-They…"_

_"We're gonna make them all pay" Seth growled. It was followed by silence other than the shuffle of clothing as Bray and Bo rose to their feet. Bray strolled forward, his hands crackling with black energy._

_"They took our precious Abigail. We'll make them all burn"_

_"You heard him. Burn it all to the ground" Seth ordered._

_Corey was the first to move, slamming his flaming fist into a wall with a roar of anger, completely destroying it. Paige kicked in another one, and Bo ran into the actual shop, trashing the place, screaming in rage. Seth walked back towards the other cages, finding all of the freed people huddled by the back door, staring warily at it. Leighla followed him cautiously._

_"Where are you going?" she questioned. Seth's eyes narrowed. "To make sure they get out alive. We need to protect our own. Someone has to" he growled. They noticed him and he stared down at them._

_"What are you waiting for? Get the hell out of here" he hissed. They stared at him with fear and confusion in their eyes. "Where the hell are we gonna go?" a blonde raccoon hissed at him. Seth crossed his arms, authority and dominance rolling off him in waves as his voice lowered._

_"Far, far away from here. This town is going to pay for what it's done to our kind. This is the start of a very bloody revolution and I don't think you want to be anywhere near here right now. They killed one of our own and I'm tired of taking this from those fucking humans. I'm starting this revolution right here, right now. If you want to be safe, leave. Now." He growled. The group stared at him with wide-eyed wonder and exchanged looks amongst themselves. All of them fled except the raccoon girl._

_"I'm going to remember this. We'll meet again one day and I'll thank you properly for this" she told him before she disappeared into the night as well. Seth turned and Leighla sent him a ghost of a smile. "Shall we wreak havoc now?" she questioned. Seth nodded, kicking one of the pipes beside him and snapping it off completely. He grabbed it and his eyes narrowed._

_"I'd be offended if we didn't."_

_Once they went outside, they noticed how the shop was completely ablaze, probably courtesy of Corey and Bray. Across the street, the whole side of a building was ripped to shreds with what looked like razor-sharp blades of ice, Paige's work._

_"Leighla, come with me. Let's pay Andy a little visit. We need to thank him for selling Abby to those fuckers in the first place" Seth growled. Leighla nodded and floated after him as he began casually strolling down the street, not even sparing the passing police cars or fire trucks a backwards glance. He got to Andy's house and gripped the pipe with both hands, swinging full-force at the teen's window._

_Andy-who was asleep at the time-jolted up and stared at his window with wide eyes. Seth snarled and climbed in through the window._

_"She's dead, you know." He growled. Andy stared at him with a smirk until he noticed the absolutely murderous look in Seth's eyes. Leighla had slipped in through the window and stared emotionlessly down at him. "She would be alive if you hadn't taken her and given her to them. A lot of people are going to die tonight because of your actions." She told him. Andy shook his head._

_"Fuck this. You guys are freaks!" he stood and tried to run, but Leighla threw her arm out, squeezing her hand into a fist. Andy crumpled, holding his head as memories of all his wrongdoings and the memories of when Leighla discovered Abigail's body rushing through his head. His nose was bleeding by the end of it. Leighla looked down at her hands._

_"How did I…?"_

_"Doesn't matter." Seth growled as he strolled forward, swinging and bringing the pipe down on Andy's leg. He took satisfaction in the way it cracked. He growled down at Andy, kicking the teen over when he tried to crawl away._

_"She's dead. What makes you think I'll let you live?" Seth snarled as he swung angrily at the teen's head. Leighla looked at her hand for a moment before she remembered that it wasn't just Andy who'd shamed them all for who they were. His parents did so as well. She left Seth to do what he was doing as she went to take care of them herself._

_By time they'd gotten outside again, the whole town was in an uproar. Leighla looked over at Seth, who had his arms crossed as he surveyed the chaos. "What do you think?" she questioned. He looked down at her, a smirk tugging at his lips._

_"I think we'll get the message across. Even if we have to beat it into them"_

_***1 year ago*** _

_Seth smirked as he clung to the book. It belonged to Taker, and it was one they'd spent years looking for. "We can bring her back. We can bring our precious Abigail back. She'll be so happy with what we've done" Bray chimed from beside him as Seth handed the book to him._

_"We need to get out of here now. I don't know how much longer we'll go undetected" Corey warned, scanning the hall. They all nodded and began the maze of a journey back when Leighla stopped suddenly._

_"Someone's messing with our memories, altering them. I can feel it. We've been detected" she hissed. Just as she said that, the hall warped and a marionette came flying towards them, an axe in-hand. Corey growled and caught the blade, tossing it aside before he ducked. Paige had vaulted over his head, kicking a hole clean through the marionette. The floor rumbled and a blonde woman glared at them from an upper level._

_"Give me back Daddy's Necronomicon and I might go easy on you for destroying my precious puppet" she hissed. Leighla scoffed and stood in front of the group, hands glowing._

_"You really want to go against gods?" she hissed. Summer smirked. "My dad is a god too, you know." She purred, her hands glowing the same color. Leighla's eyes narrowed._

_"You won't be able to alter their memories with me here" she hissed. A dark corridor opened and Summer's face lit up. "I won't have to." She smirked. Bo grabbed Leighla's wrist and darted away just as Taker emerged, eyes lit in fury._

_"Get them!" he snarled._

_"Fuck! The car is ready, right?" Seth cursed as they ran. Bray nodded from beside him. "Emma has the van. Go, go, go!" he ordered, turning and reading one of the black magic spells out of the Necronomicon. A wall of black fire appeared and he smirked, rejoining the group outside. Emma had the van open for them already._

_"Get in, dammit!" she ordered. They all climbed in and she went to speed away when the front of the van was grabbed and hefted up by a large, bald behemoth. He snarled, blue eyes filled with rage. "Where ya going?" he grinned. Emma's eyes narrowed and she slammed her foot on the gas just as Bo leaned out of the window, shooting the man in the face with a ball of ice. He growled, letting the van go. Emma sped away, flipping him off out of the window as she made her way down the road._

_"We did it! We can bring Abigail back now!" Leighla cried happily, hugging Seth. The two toned cat let out a sigh of relief before he noticed the motorcycle beside them. One with a very irate death god on it._

_"Oh, fuck me." He cursed just as the van was rammed. Emma hissed and tried to regain control when it was rammed again. Corey grabbed the wheel, trying to aid her in getting control when Bo noticed the cliff they were careening towards._

_"Guys, cliff. There should be water beyond that. We can jump out" he offered. Everyone stared at him with wide eyes. "Water doesn't mix well with Seth and I" Corey grunted. Seth nodded and Bo crossed his arms._

_"Yeah? Well dying doesn't mix well for any of us" he spat. Paige sighed. "What if there's no water and we crash?" she questioned. Bo huffed, climbing into the front seat._

_"Just believe, okay? Or should I say Boli-"_

_"BO JUST GO!" Bray barked as their van was hit once more by something sharp. Whatever it was, it embedded itself in the door and nearly impaled Corey. Bo mumbled and sped towards the cliff, grip tightening as they began to plummet. Everyone shouted as they were lifted from their seats and Leighla snatched the Necronomicon from Bray, screaming out one of the spells before she ordered them all to dive out._

_They did so and landed safely on a platform she'd summoned. Emma sucked in a breath before she blew hard, an intense gust of wind propelling them forward on the water, and further away from the cliff. Everyone held onto the sides of the platform as they skipped on the water like a rock thrown. Emma didn't stop until they got to the other side, feeling light-headed. Bo picked her up and they darted into the town, grinning like a cat that just ate the canary._

_"Oh, don't tell me you thought you'd get away that easily" a woman spat. They froze and looked over at a pale woman who sat perched upon an 8-headed serpent. She looked as if she didn't want to be there in the first place. "There's no escape" she told them as the snake lurched forward, leaving the forest coated in ice as she threw ice shards at them. Corey scoffed and stayed behind, fists flaming and eyes glowing red._

_"Leave her to me. Go!" he ordered, slamming his fist into one of the shards before he grabbed another and threw it back. Bray nodded and they ran deeper into the city. One by one, they split up as they were met with more of Taker's followers and soon it was just Paige, Leighla, Seth, and Bray. Seth was beginning to drag behind now._

_"Seth! Run faster!" Paige ordered, looking back at him. Seth growled her way. "No shit! Go, run up the fire escape!" he ordered as Bray and Leighla did so. Paige reached for it, cursing when she noticed she was too short. Seth grabbed her by the hips and lifted her up. She frowned and looked down._

_"What about you?"_

_"Just go!" he hissed. Paige flinched and did as she was told, climbing up the side of the building. Seth came after her, but Taker was right below him, growling. Seth pulled himself up and ran as fast as he could, watching Bray and Paige jump to another roof. Leighla did the same but just as Seth went to jump, Taker blasted him in the leg and he slammed painfully into the side of the building. Leighla stopped suddenly, eyes wide._

_"Seth? Seth, take my hand!" she gasped, reaching for him. Seth looked painfully up at her and sent her a smile. "Let me go. I need you to erase all of my memories of where we reside at. If I'm caught, we're all done"_

_"Seth wait a second-"_

_"Leighla! We don't have the time!"_

_Leighla sent him a painful look before she nodded, pressing her hand to his temple. She was in a rush, her palms shaking as she erased as much as she could. She ended up erasing too much in her haste._

_She stood and ran just as Seth let go, praying that he'd make it from there_

-Now-

Leighla removed her hand and crossed her arms, looking down at Seth with a sympathetic look. He looked completely shocked. He stared down at his hands and then slowly looked up at her.

"I…" he couldn't even get the words out. Leighla placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a firm squeeze.

"The Wyatt Family isn't a bunch of lunatic strangers, Seth. It's us. You were the one that started this revolution. You were the one that guided us. Bray is just filling in for you. I'm going back now. I hope you know what needs to be done now that you've remembered" she told him, leaning down to kiss his cheek before she opened a window, climbing out and disappearing into the night.

Seth didn't move for the longest time.

=Next Morning=

"Oi, what's up with the lad?" Drew questioned, watching Seth isolate himself in a corner. The Doms had yet another "meeting" that left them all excluded out. Evan looked over at his friend and frowned. "I don't know. He's been like that all morning." He replied. Drew clicked his tongue and walked over to the fellow cat, sitting down heavily beside him. Evan followed suit, frowning.

"Seth? Are you okay?" he questioned. Seth didn't respond at first, but eventually, he blinked and looked at them. "Hm?" he questioned. Evan frowned and Drew arched a brow. "We asked ya if you're alright. You look out of it" he stated. Seth looked away.

"I…I'm not sure if I'm alright." He muttered honestly. Drew cocked a brow and Evan tilted his head. "What's wrong?" he questioned. Seth shook his head and stood. "Never mind. I'll be okay. See you guys later." He stated quickly before he made his way into the forest, towards the destroyed town. Evan and Drew exchanged a look.

"What was that about?" Evan questioned. Drew rubbed his jaw and hummed.

"I don't know, but I feel like we need to keep an eye on ol' boy over there. Could lead to some interesting things"

=Later=

"Hunter, we've managed to push back one of the Wyatt attacks. Ironically, it was Summer, Show, and Antonio." Beth reported, speaking to the blonde via video chat. Hunter crossed his arms. The whole group was there now and they all huddled together, eyes fixed on the large screen.

"Good job. Did you manage to capture them and find out where the Wyatts are hiding?" he questioned. Beth opened her mouth to speak when the feed suddenly glitched.

"Hello~? Is this thing on~?" a voice purred. Everyone tensed as a blonde came into view, eyes twinkling. "Hiding, you say? We're not hiding from you all" the girl beamed, twirling a piece of her hair. The tips were blue. The camera moved and a man pushed his way into the shot, a smirk on his face.

"I understand why you all would be upset. Prince Pretty hasn't had the opportunity to grace you all with his gorgeous face. Behold-"

"Dammit, quit fucking around!" a brunette snapped, English accent strong as he snatched the camera.

"Look. We're only going to warn ya once more. We're here to fight. You all know that. You should be on our side, fighting for _our_ people. We're taking the world back whether we have to mow through you all or not." He growled. The blonde male hissed at him from behind, pushing his face out of the shot.

"Move it, Neville. They don't want to see your ugo face."

"Tyler, I swear I'm going to rearrange your face, keep it up!"

While the two men argued, a blonde with warm honey brown eyes took the camera.

"Natalya. I know you're there" she hummed. Natalya 's eyes grew. "Charlotte?" she questioned in disbelief. AJ looked up at her and Bret growled from where he was seated. Charlotte brushed her hair behind her ear and fixed the camera with a hard stare.

"We were raised together and I have love for you, Natalya, but you can't beat us. I'm warning you now, for the safety of your Divas and everyone you love, if you won't aid us, stay out of our way. We can and will mow through you. We have gods among us. And I'm sure you know just as well as I do that the majority of you cannot stand up against a god. This is your warning. And you, Rollins," she trailed off, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh of annoyance when Adrian and Tyler began fighting in the back. She shook her head and looked hard at the screen.

"You know what needs to be done. For Abigail." She muttered before the feed went dead. No one moved for a moment before Dean clicked his tongue, looking down at Seth. "You have any clue what she's talking about?" he questioned. Seth stared at the blank screen for perhaps a second too long before he looked up, meeting Dean's icy eyes with his own.

"No sir, no clue."

=Later=

Seth slid out of bed when he was sure Dean and Roman were completely asleep. He dressed silently, sliding his tactical gear and gloves on before he placed his pistols in his holsters and grabbed his assault rifle/scythe. He stopped by a mirror when he caught the shimmer of his collar. He brushed his gloved fingertips over the tag and let out a breath, steeling himself. He turned to the door and opened it. He blinked in surprise.

"You didn't think we'd let you do some stupid shit alone, did ya?" Drew questioned. He, Evan, Justin, Heath, Shannon, Renee, and a few divas were there. Seth closed his door and frowned at them.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he hissed in a whisper. Justin arched a brow.

"What the hell do _you_ think you're doing?" he fired back. Seth bit his lip and AJ crossed her arms.

"You were going to go try and find the Wyatts, weren't you?" she questioned. Seth shook his head.

"No. I was going to try and liberate a town the safe way before they got to another one" he sighed. They exchanged a look and Evan stepped forward, jabbing Seth hard in the chest with his pointer.

"Look, we're going to help you. And since you're still a bit cloudy on the whole Dom/Sub thing, I want it to be clear that we're all going to be in deep shit if we get caught. But," Evan paused and sent him a small smile. "We were also taught to stick together and not let one of our own go it alone. We've learned from Jeff. We'll follow you, but you're gonna have to lead us in this. Think you can do it?" he inquired, his tail swaying. Seth looked over them. There were so many lives in _his_ hands now. He touched his collar once more before he nodded, eyes narrowing.

"I can do it. Follow me. I'll explain on the way"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Goddess of the Chapter: Mnemosyne
> 
> Mnemosyne is the mother of the muses and the Greek goddess of Memory. She is considered one of the most powerful goddesses of her time. More accurately, Mnemosyne was a Titaness, the child of Gaia and Cronus. It was believed in ancient times that when one died, they would be given a choice, to drink from the river Lethe and forget all the pains and terrors of your previous life (and the lessons they brought) or drink from the spring of Mnemosyne (the spring of memories).
> 
> Those who chose to forget had to be reborn, and return to earth to relearn the lessons they chose to forget. Those who chose to remember were sent to the Elysian Fields, where they spent the rest of eternity in comfort and peace.
> 
> Ironically enough, the Titaness/Goddess of memories is often one forgotten, but that makes her no less powerful.
> 
> Character of the Goddess: Leighla
> 
> Item of the Chapter: The Necronomicon
> 
> The Necronomicon (which, in all actuality is a fictional book created within the works of H. P Lovecraft) is an all-powerful book. It is said to be teaming with horrific stories. In some areas, the Necronomicon is a book possessing great black magic and dark spells. Apparently merely reading or possessing this book leads to insanity.
> 
> Or worse.***


	26. Chapter 26

"What's the plan for this? That place looks pretty heavily guarded" Justin grunted as the group peered over a cliff, finding a thick concrete building protected by barbed wire fences. It also had search lights swaying to and fro. One could only assume stepping in the light would unleash a hellfire of bullets onto them.

"We just don't get caught in the light. Shannon, you're a dark elemental, right?" Seth questioned. Shannon crossed his arms, head tilted to the side. "A ShadowCreeper to be exact, but we'll call it that. What are you thinking?" he inquired. Seth looked down at his hands, a few sparks running across his gloved fingertips.

"You can hide in the shadows, get past them and see what's inside, tell us which area is the best for us to get into. I can handle the rest" he grunted. Shannon cracked his knuckles and clapped Seth on the shoulder. "Whatever you say, sparky. Be back in a sec."

With that, he leapt off of the cliff, diving headfirst. His body became covered in shadows and he dived right into a shadow that was on the ground, where otherwise, he would've landed in a splattered pile. The group watched the shadow move past the light and disappear underneath the building. They sat there anxiously for a few good minutes before they spotted the shadow once more, racing towards them.

They backed up as Shannon emerged from the shadow, sitting on the ground before them. He grunted and cast a backwards glance at the compound. "One side has guards patrolling a room with no windows in. Looks like we'll need an ID card or something to get in it. Alternatively, there's the storage side…which has this infrared security laser beam things. It's like a damn spy movie" he muttered.

"We can get past that. We need to hurry and finish this and get home before anyone notices we left. Alicia's fox fire trick will only work for so long before she gets tired and the illusions begin to fade" Aksana told them as she created a platform of ice for them to get on. They did so and Faust pushed them off the cliff, shrinking so he could fit in the palm of Aksana's hand as they raced down the hill. Aksana steered them, making sure the mass didn't make a sound or crash into anything before she stopped them right outside the gate. Now up close, they saw the fence was electrified. All eyes shifted to Seth.

He flexed his fingers once more, touching the fence and short circuiting what was powering it. Once that was done, Justin grabbed the fence, melting through the harmless metal links and pulling them aside. JoJo did the same to the other side and soon there was a wide hold in it. They all slipped in and stood behind Seth, waiting for his go as they waited for the searchlight to pass. Once it did, they all darted by and slid into the storage room. All of their eyes widened as they noticed how complicated the infrared lasers were set up.

"Seth, can't you disable it?" AJ whispered. Seth frowned. "Unless you want me to power down the whole compound, no. Plus, if these were to go off due to power failure, all eyes would be on this room and we'd be fucked" he muttered. Evan sighed, passing his staff to Seth before he cracked his knuckles, muttering a small 'I got this' before he began moving through the beams. It was like an intricate, dangerous one-man game of twister as he moved by. They all exhaled in relief as the cat finally reached the other side. He looked closely at the keypad, eyes narrowed in the darkness. He could see some of the numbers were a bit more worn than the others so he took a deep breath and entered a random sequence of numbers.

Silence passed.

_'Code accepted. Infrared deactivated'_

The lights disappeared and they all ran to the other side. "How did you do that?!" Heath whispered. Evan blushed, scratching his head. "John and Randy were both in the military. They kind of gave me a bit of training." He replied. Seth nodded and opened the door, eyes scanning the room. The heavily guarded room was in their sights.

"What do we do now?" Renee inquired, looking for possible ways for them to get by without getting caught. They couldn't send Shannon since the area was pure white and a moving shadow would be spotted immediately. Seth's eyes drifted over to AJ. The wind weasel blinked before she nodded, clutching her sickles.

"Want me to kill them?"

"I want you to get us into that room. Do whatever you need to." Seth told her. She nodded, grinning as she disappeared, a small gust of wind blowing through the room.

*Elsewhere*

Piano playing came from another room, a melody drifting up, bouncing along the walls. The song was a difficult one, but every note was played perfectly.

Until suddenly a piano string snapped.

Eyes narrowed and the man playing grabbed his phone, dialing a number.

"Dad? We've got intruders."

*Back to the group*

AJ dusted herself off, flicking blood off of her sickles and looking up when the rest of the group approached her. "I don't think I killed them" she shrugged. Drew kicked the door clean in and sighed in relief when he saw the group of prisoners looking at them, startled.

"Relax, we're here to get you out" Aksana told them as she froze their shackles. The group smashed them and JoJo looked happily over at them. "We did it!" she cheered. Seth sighed in relief and nodded. "We did. We need to get them out of here before-"

**_'INTRUDER ALERT, INTRUDER ALERT_ **

**_ALL MEN ARE INSTRUCTED TO KILL ON SIGHT'_ **

"…Shit." Seth cursed as his ears twitched, hearing footsteps fast approaching. Aksana created a ball of ice around the prisoners with JoJo sitting on the inside as a heater for them.

"Aksana, get them out of here, Shannon go with her, we'll hold them off" AJ barked, kicking up her third sickle and catching it between her jaw. Aksana nodded and Faust grew, dragging the ice ball down one hall. Heath and Justin followed so they could clear the way of any guards while Seth, AJ, Renee, and Evan stood their ground.

AJ was in front, taking care of as many guards as she could with Renee flying by her side, cutting down all that she missed. While that was going on, Evan noticed the turrets coming from the wall. His eyes grew and he yanked Seth down as they began firing. "Do something before we die!" he shrieked over the offensive noise. Seth growled and slammed his fist into the ground, short circuiting the whole compound. It didn't matter anymore now that they were caught.

"Renee, change me so I can get you all out of here!" he hissed. Renee backed away from the fallen soldiers and looked back at him. "Just howl!" she ordered. Seth rolled to his feet, tilting his head back and howling loudly. His ears grew, his tail going from sleek to thick and bushy. Evan scooted back as his friend turned into a massive wolf before his eyes, eyes glowing. He barked loudly, motioning to his back. Evan nodded, climbing onto the mix-matched wolf. Renee flew onto him, sitting on his neck and holding his neck while AJ sat on his back, watching for any sneak attacks as he ran down the hall.

Seth followed Aksana's scent, growling low when he noticed they weren't as far as he wanted them to be. He soon found out why when he saw the group fending off these monstrous-sized beasts. Evan's eyes grew. "What the hell is that?!" he yelped, ducking when one ripped apart a chunk of wall, throwing it their way. Seth jumped out of the way, landing crouched, huge fangs bared.

"They injected themselves with something and turned into those things! I don't know what the hell they are!" Shannon cursed, ducking into a shadow when one tried to grab him. He remerged and yanked its leg through the floor, trapping it while JoJo slashed it in the neck.

"We need to take care of them quick! We've been out for too long!" Heath snapped, summoning a gust and knocking two of them down, allowing Drew and Justin to cut them down. Seth had one in his jaws, violently shaking his head when one snuck up on him, hefting him right over its head, throwing him through a wall. Seth yelped, hitting the ground hard as it came for him, grabbing him by the fur on his head and slamming him repeatedly into the floor. The hellhound growled in rage, jaws sparking as he thrashed, snapping his jaws shut over the beast, electrifying it to death before he shakily got back on all fours, crawling to the group. Renee frowned. "Seth, you alright?" she whispered. Seth nodded weakly, vision blurred as blood seeped into his eyes.

They all escaped, just as the sun began to rise, unknowing of the eyes that watched them leave.

*2 Hours Later, Briefing Room*

"I don't quite understand. This doesn't seem like the Wyatt's style of attack. The whole thing would be burned to the ground and everyone would be dead" Hunter muttered, looking over the reports of the latest attack. Shawn shifted at his side.

"I think the more important thing we should be focused on is why that company was keeping its hybrid workers trapped in what is basically a prison compound." He grunted. Hunter ran a hand down his face, annoyance and frustration rolling off him in waves. He had allowed the Subs to sit in on the meeting this time.

"Does anyone have any suggestions as to what we should do?" he questioned, looking around the round table. His brows furrowed when he noticed how many of them were…still completely out. He stood up a bit straighter, counting several Subs sleeping at the meeting. Everyone who was awake noticed his silence and they followed his gaze, noticing exactly what he did.

Evan was curled up tight against John and Randy.

Shannon was flat on his back, snoring quietly.

Heath and Justin were curled up with one another by Wade's side.

AJ and JoJo were resting their heads on Natalya's chest while Aksana slept leaning against a wall, Alicia's head in her lap.

Renee was curled up tight within her own wings, barely moving.

Drew was leaning heavily on Sheamus, hair curtaining his face.

And Seth was fighting sleep, nodding off until he finally gave in, head slamming against the table.

Hunter arched a brow, noticing their Doms were just as confused as he was. He hummed, rubbing his palms together before he slammed them onto the table, the wood cracking and a thunderous bark leaving his lips.

All of them jumped up instantly, weapons drawn and aimed in his direction. He crossed his arms. "Any particular reason why you're all sleeping during a meeting?" he questioned. One by one, they lowered their weapons, eyes looking anywhere but him. "We're just tired; did you have to break the damn table?" Shannon responded, trying to lighten up the heavy atmosphere. Hunter's eyes leered down at him and he shrank back slightly.

"We've possibly got another organization besides the Wyatts wreaking havoc, I don't think that's a joke, Moore" he growled.

While he went on a rant about them all sleeping during a meeting, Seth held his head, the after effects of nearly having his skull cracked open by whatever that was in the compound. Renee barely had enough time to clean off all the blood off him once he'd changed back before Alicia's fox fire illusions began to fade and they all had to get back where they were supposed to be. Kharma was looking after the prisoners behind the scenes, making sure they were healthy before she let them all go.

Dean and Roman watched him closely, exchanging a look over his head. "Wanna tell us what really happened?" Roman questioned. Seth blinked up at them, heart stuttering for a moment.

"I-"

"Hunter! Hunter, come in, dammit!"

They all jolted, looking towards the monitor as Chris came into view, the man had Show chained up in back of him, the behemoth of a man thrashing wildly while Jimmy and Jey tried to subdue him.

"Hunter, we managed to catch this big bastard and we heard reports of another Wyatt attack. Hey! Stop fucking moving!" Chris turned away from the camera to bark the order before he looked back at the group, rattling off the coordinates of the attack.

Hunter grabbed his sledgehammer and slammed it down sideways on the table, thunder booming outside, startling all in the room who weren't ready for it .

"We're gonna split up, no use in all of us rushing in and finding that they're launching a multi-attack. I'll split you up accordingly. Do me a favor," he trailed off, leering at each and every one of them until he had their undivided attention.

"Don't fucking die. Use your heads."

=Meanwhile, WM=

"I find it amusing how they think we don't know their every move. They're playing _our_ games, falling into _our_ traps. This is thrilling!" Alexa cheered. Charlotte crossed her arms, seemingly disinterested while Paige watched her carefully from across the room, sitting beside an irate Corey.

"Alexa, do I need to remind you that this isn't for fun and that our mission is more than just killing? We're here to cleanse the world, and we need to get Seth on our side. Take this more seriously" Paige told her sternly. Alexa huffed, waving her hand dismissively.

"Leighla showed him his past, right? He should be coming back to us any minute. He just needs to snap out of it and stop acting like he's a goody-goody and-"Alexa barely had the time to finish the sentence before Paige stood, eyes wild and angry as she axe kicked the table, completely breaking it into pieces as she snarled over at the smaller woman.

"You will _not_ talk about him like that!" She snarled. Alexa crossed her arms, eyes going dark now.

"What makes him so much more important than us? We've been together for years, but still we're all overshadowed by this guy. Who the hell is he and what the hell makes him so damn special? He bumped his damn head, lost all his memories, got captured by the Undertaker, and now he's a damn _pet_ "

The silence that fell upon the room was tense, everyone looking between Paige and Alexa. The raven was about to lunge at her, but Corey pulled her back, nodding over to Bray, who had appeared behind Alexa. He grabbed her shoulder, squeezing tight while smiling, ignoring the way she cringed immediately in pain.

"My ears…they must've deceived me. Were you speaking ill of another member of the Family? No…not you, Alexa" Bray's hand moved up to her face, grabbing her jaw hard. Alexa whimpered, shrinking back away from his gaze.

"Because you should know that we don't tolerate that. After all, we're a Family, and we must look after our own. If one strays away, we _bring. them. **back**_ " Bray let her go after a moment, a smile gracing his face as he walked past the gathered members of the Family, taking his seat at the head of a table that was no longer there, courtesy of Paige.

"Listen well. This isn't a usual mission. While collecting intelligence, it came to our attention that there's a certain company that has been genetically modifying our brethren. This isn't just the usually kill-all mission. We search, we obtain, and we bring as many involved back. Letting them go up in flames wouldn't be nearly enough. Do not kill anyone under Hunter's authority. We'll deal with them once this new threat is eliminated. Go."

Bray watched all of the Family members stand, quietly shuffling out of the room, leaving him in silence with Erick and Luke. Bray rocked slightly in his chair, hearing a whisper at the back of his mind. He closed his eyes, a smile gracing his face.

"Yes, Abigail. I understand."

=Approx. 1.5 Hours Later=

"I don't see any Wyatts in this section, fella" Sheamus reported, glancing around his section of the town while speaking to Hunter. Drew was at his side, Wade and his Subs not too far off. Drew looked visibly uncomfortable, eyes shifting distrustfully to and fro with his hand firmly stationed on his sword's hilt.

"Oi, what's wrong?" He inquired, watching the way Drew's ears twitched ever so slightly. The feline's lip curled and he tilted his head up, sniffing the air, eyes narrowed.

"I've got a bad feeling, O'Shea" he muttered, biting down on his lip. Sheamus looked over to see that both Heath and Justin were restless as well and Wade was growling loudly, shoulder's squared. He suddenly felt like he was at a disadvantage, being the only one in the group that wasn't a hybrid.

"What do you feel?" he inquired. Heath shuddered.

"I feel like someone's going to die." He whined.

"Someone _is._ We did tell you guys to stay out of our way, didn't we?" a familiar bored voice cut them off before balls of fire came down upon the group. Sheamus looked up, noticing the group he'd encountered in the burned town hovering above him, the witch casting the fire.

Justin hardly blinked, tossing his chakrams up, the black Hellfire clashing with her magic before it broke through, the circular weapons flying up, nearly hitting her, had she not have flew out of the way. Justin's lip curled and he grabbed them when they came flying back to him.

"There's more of them, but no one here is Seth." Bayley frowned, looking over the group. Drew snarled, feeling renewed anger, remembering when he was beaten by the raccoon woman sitting beside Bayley.

"Hey! Get down here and finish what you started, lass!" he hissed. Emma looked down at him and smiled, waving. "Hello kitty. We don't have time to play today. Lord Bray wants us to take care of the guy that's been genetically altering our own. Turning them into monsters. We can play later, okay?" she teased, voice demeaning.

The fur on Drew's ears and tail fluffed up in rage, but Heath's eyes widened and he slowly looked over at Justin. The taller wolf met his gaze and nodded.

They were after whoever created the solutions the guards used in the compound.

Sami noticed the look they exchanged, arms crossed.

"Hey! You two cats know what we're talking about, don't you?" he inquired. He hardly blinked when Justin's chakram came flying at him, simply tilting his head and letting it fly by.

"It's a figure of speech, jeez. What I'm saying is, you two…no, you _three_ ," he paused to look over to the irate Drew as he said this. "You three have some sort of idea as to what we want. How's about you save us some trouble and tell us whatever you know, hm?" he inquired. Sheamus and Wade looked at their Subs in mild confusion while Drew simply grabbed his sword tighter, the wind picking up as his blood began to boil with rage. He hardly heard Sami's polite voice, and instead turned his full vision to Emma, lip curled.

"I _said_ let's finished what you started."

Emma stretched, adjusting the mask on her face before she smirked. "Fine. I'll play with you, kitty cat" she cooed, leaping off the roof just as Drew jumped for her, using the wind below him to blow him upward at a faster speed.

Sasha rolled her eyes from above, balancing her spell book on her leg. "That's too much work." She hissed while Bayley looked worried from behind her. "I don't like this. We don't need to be fighting." She whined, looking towards Sami. The man sighed.

"It can't be helped. In the meantime, we should look for the scientists." He muttered. Sheamus growled, bending down and digging his fingers into the ground before he completely hefted up a chunk of the ground.

"You're not going anywhere!" he roared as he hurled the chunk. Sasha grabbed her broomstick and flew over it while Sami sighed, punching it to pieces. He was about to say something when an explosion rang out. All attention snapped up at the sound. Sasha shook her head.

"Why do I _know_ that's Alexa's doing?"

=Elsewhere=

"Wanna join me~?" Alexa whistled, tip-toeing precariously on the edge of a building, eyes never leaving Roman, Dean, and Seth. She smiled, twirling without a care, at the very edge.

"Come and play~

But I might shoot you, in your face~"

Alexa flipped off of the roof, hands lighting up with pale blue light that twinkled. She blew it out of her hand and it hardened into ice sickles, flying down at the three. Dean's lip curled and he roared, body heating up as his dog ears and tail appeared, the braces on his hands flaming now. Seth and Roman leapt away from him, each of them howling and summoning their respective weapons, leering at the woman.

Alexa landed elegantly on the ground, twirling ever so slightly, still singing to herself.

"Bombs and bullets, will do the trick! What we need here is a little bit of panic. Oh~ Ah~!" She snapped her fingers and bombs appeared behind the woman. She flicked her hand forward and Roman growled, swinging his club like a bat and sending it flying back at her while Dean and Seth dodged the ones behind him. Alexa grabbed her skirt and curtseyed low, the bomb flying clean over her head and blowing up a building behind her. A dark smile crossed her face and she rubbed her hands together, a small pair of wings growing on her back before she flew off. The boys didn't even say a word as they followed the singing woman.

"Do you ever want to catch me? Right now I'm feeling ignored. So can you try a little harder? I'm really getting bored!" she teased from above and Seth snarled, sprinting past his Dominants and pulling his pistols out of their holsters, shooting round after round of multi-element shots at the fairy-like woman, seeing red when she dodged every shot. Her singing grew louder as she dodged the shots.

"Come on! Shoot faster! Just a little bit of energy, yeah!" she cheered. Roman roared from behind Dean and Seth, throwing knives past their heads and nearly hitting the woman, had she not turned and slapped them away effortlessly.

"I wanna try something fun right now. I guess some people call it anarchy" she looked around, holding her hand out and clutching a golden apple, a wild glint in her eyes. She kissed the golden fruit and a small portal opened behind her, a snarling beast crawling out of it. It had a lion's head, a goat's head slightly behind it on its back, and a hissing snake as a tail. The boys skidded to an immediate halt as the beast leered at them, jaws foaming slightly. Alexa giggled madly from behind it.

"Let's blow this city to ashes," she continued, patting the beast's lion head and nodding in their direction. "And see what Pow-Pow thinks."

As if given an order, she lunged forward, not fazed in the slightest by Seth shooting her. Roman realized she wasn't slowing at all and he grabbed both men, yanking them and urging them to run. Seth immediately complied while Dean hesitated, wanting to stand and fight. The hesitation proved to be his downfall when the beast tackled them both, all three heads snapping angrily at them. Seth turned, pulling his scythe off of his back to beat the beast off of them when Alexa appeared behind him out of nowhere, round-housing him in the stomach and kicking the weapon out of his hands. She beamed and kicked him in the back of the leg, watching him crumple to the ground before she grabbed his face, forcing him to look up at her. A smile stretched across her face.

"It's such pathetic neatness…but not for long, cause you'll get jinxed!" she snickered and held her apple closer to his face. She would've touched it to his lips, had Roman not hefted 'Pow-Pow' up and thrown her at the two with Dean screaming at Seth to move. The two toned hellhound rolled out of the way and Alexa yelped, leaping out of the way as the beast came crashing to the ground in front of her. She frowned, patting her goat head and sighing quietly when she stood, shaking off the pain and snarling. She looked over at the two and jumped on Pow-Pow's back, gripping her apple hard in her hand.

"So much faster, so much fun~

Let's start from scratch and blow up the sun!"

The goat head bleated loudly, a blast of fire being shot back at Roman and Dean. Dean snarled, catching it in his hand and extinguishing it immediately. The beast was obviously none too happy with the move and she roared in rage, ready to pounce when an arrow came flying between them. The beast stopped immediately and Alexa rolled her eyes, looking up.

"As much as I would love to watch you pummel the hell out of each other, we've got work to do. If Seth's not coming, let's go. We can come back for the pup later" Tyler grunted. He yelped in surprise when Dean snarled, punching the side of the building and completely crumpling it. He flipped out of the falling rubble and frowned.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! What if you would have scratched my perfect face?!" he hissed. Dean howled in fury and lunged at him, fists blazing. Tyler snarled and drew his bow once more, the arrow black as the night around him. Alexa raised a hand and gently pushed him back.

"Please, I insist you let me handle these three naughty puppies. Wouldn't want you to ruin that beautiful face, now would we? Go, I've got a few tricks up my sleeve" she beamed. Tyler smirked, seemingly fine with leaving the work to the female.

"Take care of this. Charlotte says the scientists might be hiding out in the center of the town. Make sure you come there when you finish here. I'm sure Lord Bray will even forgive your little slip up earlier if you bring Seth in too" he teased before he turned away from her, snapping his fingers. Angel wings appeared on his back and he took off without another word. Alexa watched him go before she turned her attention back to the snarling three hellhounds. She crossed her legs, sitting sideways on Pow-Pow, eyes half-lidded.

"Seth this…Seth that…there's nothing important about you, pup." She hummed, her apple balanced on the tip of her index finger.

"Lord Bray says we don't leave Family members behind, but I'm more than happy to watch chaos fall upon you and the two you've spread your legs for" she continued and Seth bristled angrily, the air around him crackling with electricity. Roman and Dean were a cross between being enraged and confused, eyes shifting back and forward between the two.

"Alright, fuck it. Seth, what the fuck are all these guys talking about?" Dean snapped. Seth looked towards him, noticeably tenser than before when Alexa laughed from her seat on the beast.

"Yes, pup. Answer your masters like the good little pet you are. Everyone may look up to you as this hero of our cause, but I see you for what you really are. A weak little kitten that sometimes gets to bark like a dog. In the end, you're just a weakling. Taker got his hands all over you and you can't even take one step without asking your _Daddies_ first." She grabbed her apple tight, eyes suddenly dark as Pow-Pow snarled once more.

"I have no respect for any hybrid or elemental that puts a collar on and tries to say they fight for our cause. How can we be taken seriously when we've got people within our own ranks willingly being treated like a pet?! You can burn like everyone else!" she snapped, and the snake reared its head, hissing at the three, fangs dripping venom.

Seth was trembling with rage as he reached down for his scythe, gloved fingers curling over the base of it in a tight grip.

"I don't think I ever fucking asked for your approval, you fucking pixie wannabe" he snarled, lunging at her with a howl of rage. Alexa smirked, rubbing her hands together, black glitter appearing in her palms.

"Pixie this, bitch." She spat, blowing the glitter forward.

There was a ghoulish scream before a small figure appeared before Seth. She grabbed his neck and spun once, throwing him into Dean and Roman, the man's electrified anger shocking both of the men. Seth groaned, losing focus on his Cerberus powers as he looked up weakly. The girl approached them, head tilting. His eyes widened.

"A-Abby?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goddess & Creature of the Chapter: Eris & Chimera
> 
> Eris is the famed Greek Goddess of strife, discord, rivalry, and the like. She was known to be delighted by the chaos that was caused on the battlefield during wars.
> 
> Because of her nature, Eris was widely disliked among the other gods, which was why she was the only goddess not invited to the wedding of Pelus and Thetis. Eris, not one to be stopped simply because she wasn't invited, showed up nonetheless, and was refused admittance once more.
> 
> Enraged, Eris threw a golden apple to the goddesses with the words 'to the fairest' inscribed on it. Three goddesses tried to claim it, and the heated rivalry that came from that was what lead to the Trojan War.
> 
> Eris is also one of the siblings to the war god Ares, and the two both delight in the violence of war. Her desire for bloodshed and chaos is insatiable and she is always eager to cause more anarchy.
> 
> Her Roman name is Discordia.
> 
> Creature of the Chapter:
> 
> The Chimera is a Greek monster described with the body and head of a lion, a fire-breathing goat head protruding from its back, and a serpentine tail. There are alternative forms used to describe the chimera, one including wings, but most follow the above description.
> 
> The chimera is the daughter of Greek monster gods Typhon and Echidna, making her the siblings to monsters including the Sphinx, Ladon, and Cerberus.
> 
> Just seeing her was a bad omen. She often appeared before disasters such as violent storms or volcanic eruptions. If anything was clear, it was that pain and suffering followed whenever anyone laid eyes on the she-beast, whether she was the cause of it or not is debatable.
> 
> In mythology, she was slain when hero Bellerophon and Pegasus struck her with an arrow from the sky.
> 
> Character and Creature of the Chapter: Alexa Bliss and "Pow-Pow" (called China by everyone other than Alexa)


	27. Chapter 27

Alexa's laugh drifted over them as the figure stared hollowly at the three.

At least, they are _assuming_ she is. She has no eyes, just black, void-like holes in her sockets while the skin on her body is two toned, one side pure white and the other just as black as her abyssal eye sockets. Her head tilted to the other side and Alexa clapped slowly at the horrified look on Seth's face.

"A-Abby?" he repeated slowly. Dean and Roman stared at him and this time, Dean's rage got the better of him as the man grabbed Seth by the collar.

"Who the fuck is Abby and what the fuck aren't you telling us?" he growled. Seth flinched at his tone, but before he could speak, Roman grabs both of them by the collar, yanking them back as Abby summoned a two toned axe, bringing it down where they once were. Seth looked over to Alexa in rage.

"What did you do?!" he snapped. Alexa ran her fingers through Pow-Pow's fur, snapping her fingers. Abby stopped immediately and Alexa crossed her legs, looking at the three.

"You should know that Bray has the Necronomicon in his possession. What you might not know, is another member of our Family is one Adam Rose. He's your friendly neighborhood undead skeleton wizard…or Lich…whatever you prefer to call him-"

"Get on with it!" Seth barked and Alexa's brow twitched in annoyance, Pow Pow growling from beneath her. She rolled her eyes.

"Fine, you men are such brutes, I swear. Lichs have the ability to control the dead, and Adam has this charm around his neck that summons nearby spirits that haven't passed on. And then we have Lana. She's a death goddess. I can tell by the look on your face you might know where this is going. As you know, Bray used the Necronomicon to try and revive Abigail. He failed and ended up opening a corridor that had demons and ghosts rushing out of the Underworld. Adam and Lana were called in to reign in the spirits, and neither of them noticed when Abigail slipped past them. The Necronomicon granted her powers of a goddess and that kept her from ever resting in peace. Abigail was already weakened from y'know, dying, so the power was too much for her to control so she lost any ability to form independent thought. So, being a sweetheart, I decided to be her brains. Aren't I wonderful?" she mewled.

Seth stared at her, jaw slack before he gripped his pistols, teeth bared. "I'm going to put three rounds between your goddamn eyes" he snarled. Alexa yawned, kissing her apple. "Abby, I'm bored. Kill them, would you?" she ordered.

Abby gripped the axe tight and lunged for them, not making a single sound. Seth looked at her in surprise, hands trembling. Roman tackled him out of the way and Dean lunged over the two of them, the braces on his fists blazing as he punched the two tone-skinned girl in the stomach. Her grip on the axe loosened and Dean grabbed her by the arms, kneeing her hard in the stomach.

Seth struggled from below Roman, trying desperately to crawl out from under him.

"Stop! Don't hurt her!" he cried. Dean glanced back at him and Abby struck, slashing him hard across the chest. He stumbled back and Roman immediately jumped up from Seth, darting over to the man. Abby looked like she was ready to attack him as well, but Seth rolled to his feet, firing a warning shot at the weapon. It bounced off, the sound reverberating as Abby looked in his direction, stepping closer to him. Alexa was laughing in the background, seemingly feeding off of the conflict. Seth stepped away, keeping his eyes on the shell of his best friend.

He hadn't noticed Dean getting up until he ran past Roman, Seth's scythe in-hand as he swung.

There was a gust of wind as the blade cut through the hair before hitting Abigail in the neck, decapitating her in one swift shot.

Dean growled, slamming the butt end of the scythe into the ground as the girl's head rolled away. Alexa's laughter halted and he could hear Seth scream in terror, but he kept his eyes on the blonde woman sitting atop the chimera.

"You're fucking next. I've had enough of this shit. " he growled. Alexa hummed, her apple resting on Pow-Pow's goat head as she tilted her own.

"You don't really think she's dead, do you? Well, she is dead technically. Which is exactly why you can't kill her" she stuck her tongue out and Dean looked back, watching as Abby's body crawled around on the floor, feeling for her head before she placed it back, twisting so it was just right before letting go, rolling her neck a few times before she reached down and grabbed her axe, turning back to them. Dean deadpanned.

"You've got to be _fucking_ kidding me." He growled. Alexa clapped from behind him.

"Just accept it. You two and your little useless pet are gonna die" she all but cheered. Roman came to Dean's side, looking down at his bloodied chest. "We need to retreat so I can heal that" he told him quietly. Dean scoffed. "Fuck that. We can worry about that when we handle this" he hissed.

He was ready to attack again when there was another explosion, a tower of smoke appearing from the center of the town. It drew everyone's attention and Alexa clicked her tongue.

"What's this? Looks like more chaos….Abby, come, we have other business to attend to." She ordered. Pow-Pow hopped up to her feet and bolted away with Abby dashing right at her side in the form of a black and white twinkling mist.

Seth hesitantly came up to the two and Dean held a finger up to silence him before he even opened his mouth to speak. He looked down at the man, icy eyes narrowed. "We're going to follow them. And when we get home, you've got some fucking explaining to do." He growled. Seth swallowed thickly and nodded, the three running after Alexa's posse.

It was a five minute run to the scene, but when they got there, they noticed the absolute war zone going on. The mutated hybrids were running rampant, giving both members of the Family and the Authority problems as they attacked and destroyed anything they could get their hands on.

"What the hell took you so long?!" Adrian snapped as soon as Alexa was in sight, a tomahawk in one hand and a small hammer in the other. Alexa's lip curled and she huffed.

"I had to deal with some pesky puppies. What the hell is happening here?" she inquired. Adrian rubbed his jaw and looked up at the chaos. "We found the scientists. They're in that building. To get through them, we have to go through all of those fucking beasts." He grunted. Alexa rubbed her hands together in anticipation, but missed the blur of red and blue as Roman and Dean caught up with her. Roman grabbed Pow Pow, hefting her up and tossing her with Alexa still on her back while Dean clipped her in the jaw as she was in mid-air.

"You just don't learn, do you?" she growled. Dean's braces blazed bright and Roman summoned his club, jaw set.

"We're not done with you yet" he growled. Alexa rubbed her hands together, blowing purple glitter forward, summoning poison daggers. She threw them forward and the two weaved through all of them, aiming dual blows at her when Adrian appeared in front of her. He swung his tomahawk up, hitting Roman's club while his hammer blocked Dean's fist. With that done, the vibrations throwing the men off, he grabbed Alexa by the back of her shirt, pulling her aside.

There was a crack before Roman's club shattered to pieces and one of Dean's braces did the same, falling to the ground in heavy pieces. Their eyes grew wide and when Seth finally caught up to them, chest heaving, he looked on as Roman picked up one piece of his club and Dean picked up part of his brace.

"Brad gave this to us before he passed on…" Roman trailed off and Dean's lip curled, a red aura swirling at his feet. A blue one was swirling around Roman's and the two growled loudly. Both howled in rage, and the ground cracked as the two turned into their Cerberus beasts, both leering down at the equally unafraid Alexa and Adrian.

"We really don't have time to be bothering with this" Adrian grunted, grip on both of his weapons tightening. "If you're that pissy about some weapons, I can simply fix them. I'm a blacksmith god-" he leaped back when Dean's flaming paw came down on the spot where he once was, the auburn demon snarling in rage while ice crystals formed around Roman's paws, eyes locked on to Alexa. She smirked back at him, gripping her apple with an iron-clad grip.

"Bring it, mutts"

"Seth! Seth, what's going on-oh fuck" Evan skidded to a halt as he looked up at the snarling two hellhounds. He hesitantly looked up at Seth and the man grabbed his head, finding it suddenly hard to breathe.

"Abby. She has Abby. He broke their weapons…the ones Brad got them before he passed" he muttered, eyes wide. Evan looked back in shock before he blinked. "Wait, she has Abby? As in, your Abby? Bray's sister?" he inquired slowly. Seth nodded, ears twitching when he heard a familiar growl. The two looked to their left, spotting Pow Pow crawling towards them, fully enraged. Evan clutched his staff, snapping it apart to the nun chucks within while Seth firmly gripped his pistols, thumbs on the multi-element dials.

"What's the plan for this?" Evan inquired. Seth's eyes narrowed.

"Don't die."

There were no other words as the other broke into a run towards the she-beast. Pow Pow snarled the goat head's mouth opening wide as it fired off a strong blast of fire their way. Evan rolled out of the way while Seth extinguished it with several water shots, some of the bullets flying clean past the fire itself and striking the beast. Pow Pow roared in rage, the snake tail hissing as she darted towards Evan, venom dripping from her fangs. Evan hardly blinked, hands a blur as he whipped the nun chucks around, cracking the serpentine tail right on the top of its head. He jumped out of the way once more when the goat tried to scorch him, all three pairs of eyes gleaming in fury.

Seth got to his feet, looking for his scythe when he noticed Alexa hanging behind Adrian while he took on both Roman and Dean. His eyes locked on to the apple in her hand and he remembered that she used that as well as the glitter to control and summon things.

Including Abigail.

Seth grunted and held his pistol up, carefully aiming his shot.

Alexa barely had time to react before he shot the apple, the golden fruit cracking and shattering into pieces, a powerful blast of magic coming out and knocking her back into a wall. She screamed in pain, holding her bleeding head before she looked up with wide eyes.

"N-No! Adrian, my apple!" she screamed. Adrian looked back and Dean tackled him, biting down on his arm. Adrian roared in pain and tried to shove the demon off him.

"Adrian, fix my apple!" Alexa barked. Adrian spat out a curse and tried punching Dean's snout, prying him off of his arm. "How about you fucking help me with the fucking demon dogs and then I'll fix your fucking apple!" he snarled. Alexa looked around in panic, and noticed Corey not too far off, punching his way through mutated hybrids.

"Corey! Corey help!" she panicked. Seth looked around, noticing Pow Pow had stopped attacking, now pawing at her ears as if in confusion. Then it hit him.

"Abby isn't under her control if the apple is shattered!" he gasped. Evan looked at him before he looked around as well. "I don't see her." He muttered. Seth clicked his tongue. "I got this. Have my back." He ordered and Evan nodded, watching Seth dart towards the Family members and his Doms.

Corey got there before he did, roaring in rage and punching Roman out of the way before he grabbed Dean's jaws, yanking them apart. Adrian rolled out of the way, quickly fixing Alexa's apple with his powers before tossing it back to the woman, turning his attention back to Dean. Seth jumped in the way and threw his arms out.

"Abby! Abby, you're free, come to me!" he shouted. Adrian and Corey stared at him in shock and Alexa's eyes grew.

"What are you doing?! Shut your mouth-"

"Abby, I know you're scared, come to me, it's okay!"

The two toned mist appeared in front of him and Seth eyed it cautiously, watching as Abigail formed from it. She tilted her head to the side and Seth could see she was trembling now. He swallowed thickly.

"Abby, it's me, Seth" he whispered. He saw a single black tear roll down the white side of her face before she threw herself into his arms, crying loudly.

"Everything is so loud…I'm scared. Sometimes they whisper, sometimes they scream….that woman, that woman's voice was the loudest" she looked back to Alexa and both Corey and Adrian snapped their heads in her direction. Alexa took a step back, eyeing the two warily, hands up.

"Now, let's not be hasty-"

"You fucking took control of Abby?!" Corey snarled. Alexa flinched, worrying her lip between her teeth.

"'Took control' is a bit of a nasty phrase…oh, fuck." Alexa flipped out of the way as Corey came barreling towards her, fists coated in magma as he tried to hit her. She darted out of the way but Adrian hit her in the back of the leg by throwing his tomahawk. She collapsed, screaming in pain as she yanked it out. Corey stalked loser, holding his hand out and summoning a spear with a flaming tip. His eyes were dark as he brought it over his head, aiming for her neck . Pow Pow tackled him out of the way, snarling at him as she stood protectively over Alexa.

"China, get out of the way!" Corey snarled. The beast stood her ground, eyes narrowed. Corey growled, clutching his spear tight. "I'll cut you down to get to her, China. Do you really want to die?" he hissed? Alexa gripped her apple tight.

"She obeys me and me alone, Corey. Stand down" she hissed, although there was a quiver in her voice. Corey's rage filled eyes turned to her but Roman was at his side in a flash, biting him hard in the torso and throwing him into a wall, a thin layer of ice appearing wherever his paws touched. Corey pulled himself out of the rubble, growling lowly as blood ran down into his eyes.

Abigail looked at the enraged man and whimpered, squeezing Seth's torso hard.

"Everyone is so loud…I want to hide. I'm afraid." She whispered. Seth placed a hand on her head. "Stay with Evan. I need to stop Corey and my Doms before they kill each other." He told her before he pulled himself out of her grip, kicking his scythe up off the floor and running at the feuding group.

Corey was slashing angrily at the two hellhounds, trying to get past them to get at Alexa, who turned and ran, jumping onto her chimera's back. Adrian went after her and she looked back, blowing yellow glitter out of her hands before urging her she-beast to run faster.

The glitter turned into hornets and Adrian stopped abruptly, trying to get rid of them without getting poisoned.

Seth fired off a shot, knocking Corey away from Dean and Roman and standing his ground as the bloodied man remained standing, the shot only tearing his shirt to shreds. Corey ripped it off effortlessly and leered up the two toned cat.

"Seth, I don't have time for this. Call them off so I can go over there and rip that damn traitorous bitch limb from limb. I suggest you move now before Bray gets his hands on her." He snarled. Seth clicked his tongue, grip tightening on the scythe. There actually was no reason for him to keep Corey here, and letting him go would eliminate one of the Wyatts-

Seth didn't have the time to tell Corey he wouldn't stop him when Dean came barreling past him, fangs blazing bright as he leapt clean over Seth and pounced onto Corey. The man toppled over and Seth cursed under his breath, moving to stop them when Roman growled from behind him. He tensed and looked back, finding the large hound glaring and growling at him. He swallowed thickly.

"S-Sir?"

"Let them fight."

Seth's eyes grew and he shook his head.

"I can't do that, they'll kill each other-"

"Where does your loyalty lie, Seth?"

Seth stared at him, hurt and Roman turned his head back to the two fighting. His eyes were glowing ice blue, with frost spreading on the ground as he sat down. He looked back at Seth and grunted.

"Take another step towards them, and I _will_ stop you. Even if I have to break your legs to do so. I'm _not_ asking, either"

It was a threat, that much was clear. Seth sighed, his grip loosening on his scythe as the blade slammed heavily onto the ground. He kept his gaze at his feet, not saying a word and not moving.

Alexa was intending to run right by the chaos going on between the two groups and the monstrous hybrids when Adrian caught up to her, kicking Pow Pow in the side and knocking them both down. Tyler noticed the commotion and looked down at the three.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? We're not here to fight each other-"

"She took control of Abigail's spirit!"

The blonde archer stopped immediately, eyes dark. Paige-who was nearby-heard and stopped immediately, dropping her shield heavily to the ground as she turned to look at them as Alexa got to her feet, backing away.

"You _what?!_ " she snarled, sharp blades of ice raising from the ground around her. Alexa growled, noticing the three backing her into a wall and more members of the Family noticing the conflict. She ground her teeth together, backing away from them until she felt the wall against her back.

"Bray's coming. He's going to rip you apart, y'know?" Tyler sighed, sitting on the edge of the building he was perched on. Alexa shot him a look before she yelped, dodging the shield Paige threw her way, gulping when it embedded itself in the wall. The Englishwoman looked absolutely _murderous_ as she stalked closer but Alexa looked behind her, noticing the dark corridor opening.

" _Shit_ " she hissed as Bray stormed out, black magic crackling around him. Luke and Erick were at his side, as loyal as ever, glaring at her. Erick looked like he was going to lunge, but Bray snatched him back, lip curled into a snarl.

"Alexa, I don't like it when things are stolen from me. The one most precious…you've taken that away, tried to mold her into a tool just like the humans we fight. Pray, Alexa, but no one can save you now" he snarled, eyes wide and crazed. Alexa clutched her apple and hissed under her breath.

"Not today."

She kissed the golden fruit and the ground shook violently, chunks of the ground raising and sharpening before their eyes, into smooth, lance-shaped weapons, flying every which way. "Catch!" she grinned, throwing down glitter. It formed a huge cloud and she managed to escape, the havoc she summoned still in motion.

Bayley looked up in surprise, watching the pointed concrete weapons flying towards them. "Everyone move!" she shouted, throwing her hands apart as two, floppy dog-like ears appeared on her head and a swirling, fluffy tail appeared behind her. She touched the ground for a moment before she took off like a track star, a mere blur as she grabbed onto Rosa and Kaitlyn, pulling them out of the way. The two divas looked up in surprise and she smiled sweetly at them.

"Are you okay?" she inquired. They nodded slowly and she stood, dusting herself off before she nodded at them. "That's good. I don't want anyone getting hurt…"She looked to her left, eyes widening when she saw the three coming at Jeff as he fended off one of the mutated hybrids.

"Jeff!" she shrieked.

Jeff's ears perked and he turned, eyes wide when he saw the incoming threat. He was snatched back by his collar and he yelped when Adam pulled him against his chest while Punk appeared in front of them, blowing them away with Jetstream-forced fire. He glanced back at the two, but didn't say a word as he shook his hands out, looking around.

"Is everyone alright-"

_"SETH"_

Everyone's heads snapped over to the sound of a female screaming.

Seth was trembling, one of the projectiles having gone right through his middle. Even Corey and Dean stopped their fighting, looking at the man with wide eyes. He fell to his knees; chest heaving in fear as he tentatively touched it, hands covered in blood. Abby fell by his side, gently touching the wound.

"It's okay, you're okay…" she whispered, although there was a tremble in her voice. Seth looked up at her before looking at Roman and Dean as the two ran to his side.

"Fuck!" Dean cursed and Roman tried to calm Seth down. "Don't move, just breathe…" he whispered. Seth coughed and his eyes rolled back, slumping against the larger man. Roman held his shoulders with trembling hands and Dean shook him lightly.

"Seth…? Seth, stop fucking with us, get up. Seth!" he barked. Roman looked down at him, noticing the tears welling up in his eyes.

Abby held her head, whimpering loudly.

"No…So loud. Stop screaming, he's alright. Seth can't be dead….stop it…stop screaming. No! No, no, no, no, **no!** " Abby screeched and a dark mist spread around everyone, enveloping them all as she screamed at the top of her lungs, pulling her hair.

No one had the time to move before darkness enveloped them.

-HD-

"So…he was impaled?"

"Yes."

"Are you _sure?_ "

"We saw it with our own eyes, don't fucking question us" Roman growled, leering down at Johnny and Derrick. The two flinched and backed away and Kharma sighed, wringing out a wet rag and putting it over Seth's head. Alexa's lance projectiles turned out to be illusions. Seth wasn't physically injured, but mentally, he went through the pain. On top of that, Abigail ended up knocking out all of them in her rage before she disappeared in a mist.

She hadn't just disappeared into the night, however. After letting out her ghoulish scream, the mist flew into Seth.

"There's a ghost girl hiding in our boy. Can't you do something?" Dean inquired softly. Usually he'd be angry beyond belief right about now, but seeing Seth getting impaled and looking at them with such helpless fear in his eyes…it reminded him of Brad. All the man wanted to do now was scoop the cat up and cradle him close and never let go. Roman could sense his distress (truth be told, he was right there with him but he masked those fears well) and he held his hand, brushing some of Seth's blonde hair back.

"I could if she was just a normal ghost. She has divine powers and ripping her out of Seth could damage his mind. We need to wait until she comes out on her own. I have a feeling…he'll wake up when she does, or she'll wake him herself" she told them, steering Johnny and Erick out of the room.

"We'll leave you two alone." She cooed before the door closed shut.

-Within Seth's Mind-

Seth groaned lowly and sat up, holding his head. He could hear something creaking beside him. Rubbing his eyes, he followed the sound, looking over and seeing Abigail swinging on a lone swing in the pale whiteness of his mind. He slowly walked over to her, watching her swing for a moment before he spoke;

"What happened?"

"Miss Alexa played a nasty trick on us all…and made it look like you died…I got scared, and the voices got so loud…I wanted to make them shut up so I screamed louder, and I hid…in your mind."

Seth stared at her in confusion and she bit her lip, unable to meet his gaze, not that he'd know with her lack of eyes, anyway.

"I never wanted to come back like this, you know?" she suddenly spoke. Seth frowned and Abigail stopped swinging, her feet planted firmly on the floor as she gripped the chain. Her hair fell forward and her voice shook.

"I never wanted to die, Seth. I didn't deserve it…but I didn't want anyone to die because of me…big brother Bray tried to bring me back…and lost control. The Necronomicon will make you lose your mind…and I helped."

"How did you help?" Seth inquired as he sat firmly on the floor in front of her. Abigail smiled sorrowfully at him.

"I couldn't control my influence while under Miss Alexa's control. My abilities to slip into one's mind have very dire consequences if not handled properly. "

"What kind of abilities?"

"Nightmares. Bray brought me back as a goddess of death and nightmares. All day and night, I hear screaming of the dammed…sometimes I can ignore it, but most of the time it overwhelms me. Just being around me when I lose focus will cause those around me to have the most horrifying of nightmares. It digs into their deepest, darkest fears and makes them live it, unable to wake up until it's over…I…I drive people to insanity. Bray is a dangerous man now, Seth. He scares me, and I want to hide." She whispered, curling up on the swing. Seth shook his head.

"You want to hide from your brother? He loves you, he-"

"He needs to have his mind intact. He has nightmares when I'm around him even if he's not asleep, even if I'm not being controlled. That's why I ran when Adam and Lana tried to reel me in with the other spirits Bray unleashed. I didn't want to be the reason why my brother or any of them go down this downward spiral" she told him, voice soft. Seth shook his head slowly.

"It can't be that bad, Abby"

Abigail looked down at him before she snapped her fingers.

The whiteness faded to black and Seth heard the sound of skin slicing skin. He turned slowly, watching himself stroll eagerly behind Dean. Roman was already down in a pool of blood not too far away, one of his arms laying a few feet from his body. Other Seth raised his scythe, kicking Dean over and smiling down at him as he swung the weapon, aiming for the neck.

"STOP!"

The illusion faded immediately and Seth panted, looking up at her with wide eyes. She nodded slowly, looking away.

"Do you understand now? I'm a monster. Monsters should hide to keep the peace. We need to stop Bray…but before that, we need to deal with this mutation threat. It's a lot to handle…and I know you may think of me as a coward…I ask that you forgive me for hiding" she wrung her mix-matched hands together, worrying her lip between her teeth.

"I…I haven't slept in months. I don't think I'll ever be able to sleep on my own with those screams. In here it's quiet…its warm its-"

Seth raised his hand, sending her a small, smile. She could tell he pitied her. "I've had a lot of shit done to my mind over the past year, but you hiding in it to hide isn't even close to being a bad thing. I'll look after you until Bray and Bo are in the right minds to look after you themselves. We're family. Just rest, no questions or explanations needed." He told her kindly.

" You have no idea how grateful I am…You have people who love you that need you to wake up now, I've kept you sleeping for too long. It's alright, I'll be here for now…and I won't look. "she whispered, the corner of her lips tilting up into a small smile before Seth felt a tug come from the front of his mind.

-HD-

Seth groaned, cracking his eyes open and sitting up, rubbing his head. Roman's head was in his lap while Dean was coming back with a wet rag when he noticed him sitting up. He dropped it, eyes wide and Seth smiled weakly at him.

"H-Hi?"

Dean all but threw himself onto Seth, grabbing his head and crushing him with a hug, startling Roman awake. The man grunted and sat up, ready to snap at the smaller Dom when he noticed why Dean was so excited. He threw his arms around them both and Seth blinked slowly, unsure if he should move or not.

They pulled away after a second and Dean looked away, rubbing at his eyes. Seth frowned and touched his arm.

"Sir, are you cry-"

"No, shut the hell up"

Roman rolled his eyes and looked down at Seth. "I think you've got some explaining to do. That's an order" he grunted. Seth sighed and ran a shaking hand through his hair before he reached down to touch his collar.

"A-Alright…but I need everyone to hear this. It's important."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Goddess of the chapter: Melinoe
> 
> Melinoe is the Greek Goddess of ghosts. She rules over hauntings, restless spirits, nightmares, and madness. Melinoe is the daughter of Hades and Persephone, rulers of the Underworld. Melinoe's skin is two toned, with one side being considered a beautiful, fair white (a trait she inherited from her mother) while the other side is completely black as night (inherited from the darkness of her father). Melinoe is said to take after Hades in all ways but one, her mentioned beauty. In some depictions of her in art, Melinoe is also shown to have an absence of eyes, instead just black, abyssal voids in her sockets.
> 
> Melinoe has the power to turn someone insane with the ghosts that are under her control. She has a short temper (another trait she gets from Hades) and often leads restless and vengeful spirits of the Underworld into the world of the living during the night. Her sacred animals are howling dogs (but it can also be assumed that amongst the spirits she reigns over, hellhounds will follow her as well). Melinoe's invasion into the world of the living (and, into the dreams of others to drive them insane by turning it into nightmares) is said to be the reason why dogs howl at seemingly nothing.
> 
> Character of the Chapter: (Sister) Abigail Wyatt***


	28. Chapter 28

The Authority members all sat quietly at the table, all eyes trained on Seth as he stood before them, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth. Roman placed his hand at the small of his back and Dean slipped a hand into his, squeezing it slightly. Seth smiled warily before he looked to the others.

"I'm sorry for bothering you all when you're all trying to rest after recent events, but I need to confess to you all." He started, ears flattened slightly against his head. All of the Subs that already knew tensed ever so slightly, either worried for him or worried that he'd mention them while confessing.

"Go ahead, Seth, we're all ears" Natalya cooed. She kept her voice honey sweet, knowing he was scared beyond belief for whatever reason. He smiled gratefully at her before he swallowed down a breath.

"The reason why Bray and the other Wyatt family members want me to join them so bad is because I…I started this." He muttered. The whole room went dead silent. Roman's hand stilled on his back and Dean squeezed his hand harder, whether he was still trying to comfort him or not, Seth wasn't so sure.

"Bray, Bo, Abigail, Corey, Paige, Leighla, and I were all childhood friends. All through our childhood, we were terrorized by the humans for being hybrids and elementals. We pulled through it, for the most part, until we turned into teenagers. One of the kids that terrorized us ended up snatching Abby when she went on a grocery store and, out of spite, handed her over to a pet shop that turned out to be Taker's. When we got there…it was too late." Seth paused, brows knitted up in pain at the memory as he stared at the oak-colored wood of the table.

"In my rage, I suggested we burn the city to the ground to make them pay for taking Abigail from us and all of our equals who've fallen because of humans who look at us as filthy animals or tools. We all got away with murder that night by pure luck. Leighla is a reincarnated Titaness of memories and that night, all the excitement awakened her powers and she messed with the memories of anyone who survived. After that, we all swore to start a revolution. For Abby. For all of us." His eyes slipped closed and he considered awakening Abigail but he decided against it, letting his friend rest.

"A few years after that, we decided to pay Taker a visit. We went with one mission; to steal the Necronomicon. We managed to get it out of his mansion and escape with it, but of course, they chased after us. We were all nearly clear, when I slipped off of a roof with Taker hot on my heels. I forced Leighla to erase my memories so he wouldn't follow them to where we were staying and she ended up erasing too much, erasing my memory of everything previous. She let me fall and completely oblivious, I headed home. Taker must've noticed so he beat me there, murdering my family in rage before he followed me and took me. The rest, you know" he told them. It didn't go past the Subs how he deliberately kept their names out of it and didn't even mention the midnight mission from the night before.

"So, you mean to tell me you put the idea in their heads to do this and then conveniently _forgot?_ " Wade growled, eyes dark and angry. Seth sighed, not meeting his, or anyone's eyes.

"Leighla wiped it out-"

"But you just told us your whole backstory, so when exactly did you remember this all?" Randy questioned, arms crossed. Evan looked up at him before he looked at Seth, wishing he could help him. Seth swallowed thickly.

"About three days ago. Leighla told me before she went back to the Wyatts, assuming I would follow" he responded. John sighed from beside Randy, taking his hat off and rubbing his head for a moment before he put it back, adjusting it. Seth knew what that meant.

"You do know you've put every one of us in this room in danger by not telling us sooner, right?" he kept his tone neutral. Seth nodded slowly.

"I…I know. I was hoping I could diffuse the situation before anyone got hurt-"

"Jeff's with them." Punk mumbled from his side of the table. Matt growled at him. "Don't blame him for that when we all know it's _your_ damn fault" he snapped. Punk's hands flared for a moment before he slumped back, not even bothering to fight. Seth watched them with apprehensive eyes and Hunter rose from his spot.

"Who's side are you on?"

"W-Wha-"

"If the time came, would you kill a Wyatt?"

"Hunter-"

"Would you kill one of us?"

" _No!_ "

Hunter chuckled, shaking his head. "Wipe that scandalized look off of your face. Right now, it looks a hell of a lot like you could turn on the drop of a dime, but I trust Roman and Dean's judgment and neither of them have snapped your neck yet so I'll give you a chance. Do know this; if you even _think_ about turning on anyone who works under me, you better hope the Wyatts can scrape your ass off the pavement when I'm done with you, kid. Dismissed, all of you" Hunter ordered, and all of them slowly exited, casting glances at the two toned cat.

Neither Roman nor Dean moved.

Seth knew better than to move until they did. So he stood there for a moment, long after Dean's hand slid out of his and Roman's hand dropped away from his back. He felt like he was going to panic, not liking their lack of a reaction.

Dean stood from his seat and grabbed his wrist in an iron clad grip suddenly, dragging him out of the room with Roman quietly following. Seth whined, feeling like Dean was close to snatching his arm right out of the socket, but he didn't make any vocal protests, stumbling behind him.

Dean yanked him all the way to the Dungeon, walking through the training equipment and right up to a door Seth never saw anyone open. Dean all but threw it open, storming down the small staircase, still dragging Seth along. When they finally got to the bottom, Seth's eyes grew.

It was an actual dungeon. One of the dark, ominous ones that had all sorts of torture mechanisms.

Seth's heart dropped suddenly.

"W-Why are we down here?"

"Take your collar off."

Seth stared at Roman with wide eyes, a protective hand going around his neck. His tail bristled ever so slightly.

"W-Wait a second-"

" _Take. Your. Collar. Off._ " There was venom dripping from the Samoan man's words and Seth flinched. Hesitantly, he reached behind him, carefully undoing the collar and sliding it off his neck, holding it out to him. Roman took it and tossed it carelessly over his shoulder and Seth cringed when he heard it hit the ground, panic alarms and warning sirens blaring in his head, screaming for him to run and get it.

"Strip" Dean ordered from behind him and Seth sighed quietly, doing as he was told, eyes downcast. He didn't say a word when both men grabbed one of the hanging chain bindings each, securing his hands above his head. Roman tilted his chin up, forcing him to look him in the eyes.

"Even if you are untrained, you know better than to hide things from us. You looking down on us, boy?" he growled out and Seth trembled at the tone. "N-never, sir" he whimpered, shying away slightly when Roman's eyes narrowed. He subconsciously wondered what Dean was doing behind him, but he found out when suddenly his vision went black, a cloth over his eyes. He barely had time to panic over the darkness before he felt a sharp, blistering pain go across his back.

He hissed in pain and Dean tisked, eyes half lidded as his fingers curled around the whip end of the ninetails.

"Do you have any idea how _wrong_ your actions are?" he inquired. Seth trembled.

"I'm s-sorry, sir-"

"No. But you will be"

Seth bit his lip hard, stifling cries of pain as Dean-and Roman soon after-punished him, the lashes getting harder and harder. He wouldn't ask or even beg them to stop. He knew that this was his punishment and he'd take whatever they'd dish out at him until he had their forgiveness.

So he remained like that, biting his lip bloody with hot tears rolling down his face, the pain white hot.

He was just getting dizzy when they stopped and his wrists were freed faster than he could react, falling into a heap on the floor. He wondered idly if he'd prefer to take the blindfold off now, since he knew he had to be a bloody mess.

"Get up, Seth. You can go."

Seth didn't like that tone. Dean sounded tired, and Seth was positive that wasn't an invitation for him to leave the secondary dungeon, but the relationship as a whole.

Hesitantly, he shook his head, whimpering loudly.

"Please…hurt me…kick me, punch me, but don't leave me" he whimpered. Roman crossed his arms, gray eyes peering down at him, scrutinizing. "Why does it matter? You've been doing everything your own way anyway, you don't need to have us holding you back. Leave."

"…"

"Get up and get out, Seth" Dean growled. Seth shook his head, nails digging into his thighs, silently willing himself not to break his resolve.

"Please…" he couldn't come up with enough words to express how _sorry_ he was. He could feel himself trembling, fresh tears rolling down his cheeks when Roman sat down in a chair in front of him, pulling the blindfold off. He wasn't showing any emotion on his face. Seth whined and looked over at Dean, not fully prepared for the hurt and angry look on his face. Seth looked up at Roman, pleading.

"We're not here to play games, Seth."

"I know…I…I want you to forgive me."

Dean sat down heavily beside Roman. "Funny how that works, isn't it?" he grunted. Seth looked over to his collar on the floor before he looked up at the two. "Give me one last chance, please" he whispered. Dean sighed, putting his hand on the top of Seth's head.

"We lost one person already that's close to us. We don't need to lose another because they're keeping secrets, Seth" he muttered. Seth nodded, sucking his bloodied lip into his mouth, ignoring the sting.

"Never again." He swore and the two exchanged a look before Roman clicked his tongue. "You're going to stay down here and we'll figure out what to do with you in the morning. Or, like we said, you could always get up and leave" He grunted before he plucked Seth's collar off of the floor and headed out, Dean close behind. He threw a look over his shoulder before the door closed. Seth curled up on the floor, putting his head on his knees, resisting the overwhelming urge to scream.

His distress must've come to Abby's attention because the ghost girl appeared in front of him. She held the ends of her dress and knelt down, cupping his face and tilting her head. "Why are you crying? What's happened? She questioned softly. Seth chewed his already bloody lip, uncaring of the droplets that fell onto his knees.

"I tried to take care of this by myself and I fucked up." He whimpered. Abigail took in his bloodied appearance and sat down, uncaring if her dress got dirtied.

"Love is sometimes pain, isn't it?" she inquired. Seth looked up at her. "That much is obvious" he replied. A small smile came to her face and she waved her hand, a chubby little hellhound waddling out of the corridor she opened. Seth blinked and Abby handed him his boxers, looking away.

"Cover up, I'm leaving Brimstone with you tonight so you don't freeze" she told him. Seth shuffled around for a moment, covering up before he looked down at the Onyx black pup. "Brimstone?" he parroted and she smiled. "He's one of my two familiars. A lot of the hellhounds follow me around and all but Brim and Luna are my favorites. Here, he'll keep you warm tonight and he'll disappear when Roman and Dean come back…I…I'm sorry I caused this much trouble" she told him gently. Seth only smiled at her, picking Brim up and setting him in his lap. The demon looked content there, snuggling up against his chest.

Sure enough, the dog's body was like a furnace, keeping Seth warm in the otherwise cold room. Abigail disappeared once more, leaving Seth alone with the hound. He held the pup tight and closed his eyes, willing himself to sleep.

It didn't come easily to him.

=Upstairs=

Roman and Dean sat on opposite sides of the bed. Dean's elbows were propped up on his knees, his head in his hands while Roman stared at the wall, Seth's collar in his hand. He fiddled with it unconsciously.

They both felt the presence enter the room, grey and ice blue eyes shooting over to the dresser.

Abigail sat on it, legs crossed, lips tilted down in a frown. The three stared at one another and a sigh left her lips.

"If you want to be angry at someone, be angry with me. None of this would've happened if I never died in the first place. I'll take the blame for all of it, my brothers, Seth's lying, any casualties they may have caused." She gently got off the dresser, summoning her axe. Both men growled in warning, but she simply held it out to them.

"I can take the punishment from now on. Please, I insist. Seth loves you, and that's why he felt the need to lie to you. Even when we were children, he always tried to take responsibility for all of us and do things alone so he wouldn't get the rest of us involved, it's his nature. I understand that's something he can't do in this sort of relationship. Don't give him up. I can be your medium. Whenever he's out of line, punish me instead" she offered, coming forward and placing her axe in Dean's hands. He looked down at the shimmering steel and she stepped back, lowering herself to her knees and running her thumb across her neck.

"Take my head off, rip me limb from limb, I don't mind."

"You feel the pain of all of this even though you won't die, don't you?" Dean inquired, eyes dark. Abigail nodded.

"I do. When you cut my head off before, it was excruciating. But I will atone for everything my death has caused wholeheartedly."

"You do know that's not how this works, right? You may feel like it's your fault, but Seth still knew better than to lie to us" Roman told her, running a hand down his face to collect himself. Abigail looked up at him, mouth opening to protest, but he raised a finger, silencing her.

"We hear you. We understand, we'll make our decision in the morning." It was a polite, but brisk dismissal. Dean handed her weapon back and Abigail stood, brows knitted up in concern. "I'm sorry once again." She apologized once more before she disappeared in a two toned mist.

Dean cursed under his breath and Roman just flopped back on the bed, an arm thrown over his eyes.

=WM=

Bray growled angrily and Leighla sighed, placing a hand over his eyes. He relaxed immediately, slumping over. She pulled her hand away, looking up when she heard Erick and Luke growling at her. Her eyes narrowed and she crossed them over her chest.

"Cut it out. I know we're all defensive over what just happened with Alexa, but you two know damn well I would never turn on Bray. I've been here longer than you have, have some damn respect" she snapped, feeling angsty and tired. They backed down and she looked back at Bray.

"I just made it so he could get some sleep by temporarily storing his memories of today. He'll remember it all in the morning. You two watch over him." She ordered lightly, walking swiftly past them and heading up to Corey and Paige's room. She tapped lightly on the door and stepped back when Paige opened it. She smiled warily at her and let her in, going back to finish wrapping Corey's injured middle. After tucking the final piece in place, she got a bandage out of the first aid kit and put it on his cut cheekbone, pressing her lips to it.

"I'm fine." He grunted, pulling her into his lap and putting his head on his shoulder, looking over at Leighla. She sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Still no sign of Alexa. I'm torn. Bray is going to want to go after her, but we're leaving a lot of hybrids in danger if we don't take care of this new mutation" she told them. Paige laced her fingers with Corey's and took a deep breath.

"Bray may want to split up for it. Handle the problem himself since it's more personal and I can only assume Bo's going to be right there with him. For now, we focus on getting rid of all of those scientists and then we kick Alexa's teeth in if Bray hasn't already" she hissed. Corey squeezed her hand and Leighla smiled slightly at the two.

"If you're going to comment on how 'cute' we are, get out" Corey grunted playfully. Leighla stuck her tongue out at him, but made her way out. She took a steadying breath when the door closed behind her. She knew Abigail was with Seth. Seth was always the one she would hide behind when she was afraid when they were children and this was no different.

She just hoped that wouldn't cause complications later with Bray.

=Elsewhere=

Summer and Antonio were wrapping up a joint mission Bray had given them when the room temperature dropped. Both were on their guard immediately when Alexa appeared before them.

"You must be a lot more cocky than I originally gave you credit for, showing up in front of us" Antonio growled. Alexa tapped her chin, crossing her legs as she sat on Pow-Pow's back.

"I came here to propose an offer of sorts" she started. Both exchanged a look before looking back to the chaos goddess. "Go on" Summer urged, not really looking the least bit interested in what she had to say. Alexa smirked.

"We kill Bray. The title of lord of the Underworld goes to someone more deserving of it" she purred. Their eyes darkened. "Are you suggesting you turn against our Lord?" Cesaro growled. Alexa rolled her eyes.

"Oh, _please. > Don't pretend you give a damn about that deranged cult leader. His cause is just if he was some angel or something, but this is the damn lord of _our_ Underworld acting like a candy ass" she grunted. The two exchanged a look and Alexa tossed them a key._

_"What is this for?"_

_"The Authority has your behemoth, don't they? Show, right? That's the key to his cage. I'll let you sleep on my offer" she mused, leaning on Pow-Pow's goat head as she opened a portal, the chimera slowly standing and walking towards it. She threw a look over her shoulder, waving._

_"Bye bye~"_

_=8 am, Hart Dynasty=_

_Seth groaned quietly when he woke up, cracking his eyes open and hissing at the sunlight that streamed into his eyes. He closed them quickly, snuggling back into the warmth radiating below him._

_Wait… _sunlight?__

_Seth shot up, eyes wide as he nearly toppled from the bed he was on. He blinked in confusion, suddenly feeling the sting from the wounds he got last night, hissing in pain. He heard the shower on from the joint bathroom, and shifted off the bed, quietly walking over to the door._

_The door swung open as soon as soon as he touched the handle and he jolted back, eyes wide as Roman emerged from the bathroom, steam spilling out into the room. Seth's ears flattened when the Samoan liger's eyes met his and Roman placed a hand on his head._

_"Nightstand, top drawer"_

_Seth stared at him in confusion for a moment before he made his way to the nightstand, opening the drawer. His eyes lit up when he saw his collar sitting above a portfolio. He snatched it up, putting it around his neck and tightening it before he ran to Roman, throwing his arms around his torso._

_"Thank you sir."_

_Roman closed his eyes, one arm tightening around Seth as he placed a hand on his head, kissing his forehead. "We love you, Seth. We don't like having to punish you like that, but we will. That's part of what it means to be a Sub, you can still turn us away-"_

_" _Never_ "_

_Seth clung to him tighter and Roman chuckled. The door opened and Dean strolled in, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He nodded over at the two, scratching his neck awkwardly. His eyes trailed down to the dried blood on Seth's chest._

_"Go shower." He ordered, and Seth nodded, disappearing into the shower. Roman pulled his towel off, catching the pair of boxers Dean tossed him. He slid them on and shook his hair out, smiling when Dean grumbled in annoyance._

_"You fucking dog."_

_"Technically, we're both"_

_Roman smirked when Dean rolled his eyes, unable to come up with a comeback. Roman sat beside him, putting his head in Dean's lap. He stared down at him before he took a long drag of his cigarette. They sat in silence until Seth came out of the bathroom, drying his hair. His chest was still red from the gashes and Dean cringed slightly._

_"Seth, get over here and let Rome heal that"_

_"Permission to speak?"_

_Dean blinked in surprise before he nodded. Seth scratched his arm. "Can you leave it? I deserved it and I should wear these wounds for a while" he muttered. Roman and Dean exchanged a look before the elder sat up, crooking his finger._

_"Come here and sit down, let me wrap it so you don't get infected." He ordered. Seth sat obediently in front of him on the bed and Dean took a rubbing alcohol spray out of the first aid kit that was under the bed, spraying the gashes on his chest. He hissed loudly, eyes watering slightly. Dean frowned._

_"I know, I know. Just give me a second, alright?" he inquired. Seth nodded and Dean moved behind him to spray his back. He whimpered and Dean gently blew the wounds to soothe the burn. Roman moved in front of Seth, making him hold one piece in place by the side of his ribs as he began wrapping the wounds with Dean's help. He made sure it wasn't too tight and tucked the last piece under the first, ruffling Seth's hair._

_"Better?" he questioned and Seth nodded, pressing against them both._

_"I'm sorry" he whispered. His hands were shaking as he held both of their hands, head tucked into the crook of Roman's neck as he sat in Dean's lap. Dean gently rubbed the back of his hand. "You don't have to keep apologizing to us" he told him. Seth shook his head._

_"I almost lost you two."_

_Roman felt a hot tear land on his neck and he tightened his grip on Seth's hand. The two toned feline held onto them for dear life and Dean rubbed his back gently. The three sat like that until there a bolt of lightning struck the ground not too far from the mansion. They all jolted, exchanging worried looks._

_All three of them got up, running out of the room (with some difficulty from Seth due to his injuries. They ran to the meeting room and saw Hunter snarling at the screen. Seth frowned, grabbing the back of Dean's shirt while Roman turned to Natalya, who looked equally pissed, Michelle and AJ holding her back._

_"What's wrong?" he questioned. Her lip curled and she motioned to the screen with her jaw. "Listen to this snake bastard" she hissed, eyes leering at the screen. Aksana blinked and Randy looked at her in mild offence._

_"Well then"_

_"Fuck off, Randy, you know what I meant"_

_Roman turned his attention back to the screen and saw an old man smiling smugly at Hunter, a younger man at his side._

_"Hunter, I noticed your guys the other day with the Wyatts trying to stop my plans. Do you really want to side with them?" he inquired, a smile on his old face. Hunter growled darkly, Shawn looking just as upset from beside him._

_"Eric, you son of a bitch." The blonde demigod snarled, thunder rumbling loudly outside. Eric chuckled, moving aside, motioning to a lab table behind him. There was an ice elemental struggling against the bindings holding her down. A number of doctors walked up to her and one flipped a switch, shocking her when she tried to freeze her bindings._

_"Bischoff, you can't do this" Shawn pleaded, eyes wide. Eric's lips curled upwards and he made a motion with his hand, one of the doctors taking a needle off of a table, lowering it to the elemental woman's neck. She thrashed, but the other doctors held her in place as she was injected with the concoction. She screamed, eyes glowing bright as the doctors all stepped away. Her body bulked up until she was an unrecognizable beast, still held down by the bindings._

_A few of them cringed and Bischoff turned back to the camera, looking infuriatingly smug with his work._

_"Hunter, I seem to recall this not being the first time we crossed paths when it came to the mutation of those animals. But this time, you don't have Stephanie to hide behind. Daddy's little princess was the only thing stopping my work, but now that she's dead, I can do whatever I want. I only have one demand from you, and I can assure the safety of your little group. I know you have celestial and divine beings amongst you, hell, you yourself are a demigod. So, I want you to give me one." He hummed. All of them flared in rage._

_"You must be out of your fucking mind!" Matt snarled, snatching Shannon behind him. Eric rolled his eyes. "Oh please, Hardy child, neither you or your little spook interest me…Natalya, care to sacrifice yourself to ensure none of your girls get hurt?" he suggested, smile growing when the Canadian phoenix flared in anger._

_"How about you give one of them up? The Kamaitachi girl-AJ-perhaps? How about the Yamata no Orochi?" his eyes shifted over to Dean, Seth, and Roman. "Any of you three would do. One third of Cerberus, or even the goddess Triglav that granted you said powers-"_

_"I'm going to make sure to rip you to shreds myself" Randy hisses and Eric tapped his fingers lightly on the table in front of him. "Likely story. For now, I suggest you all think of who to give up. Or, I could wipe you out one by one and experiment on your corpses. The choice is yours. Tick tock" the feed cut and all of them were left in a tense silence. Hunter spoke after a moment._

_"How the hell do people keep hacking into our lines?!"_

_Lightning cracked from outside and Shawn slipped a hand into Hunter's, gently rubbing the back of his hand to calm the enraged blonde. He looked up at his employees, eyes dark._

_"Rest until I call for you."_

__-Red,_ _

__Like roses_ _

__Fills my dreams and brings me_ _

__To the place you rest-_ _

_Several hours later, a team was being deployed when Jericho and the others called for backup, saying Show had been broken out of his holding cell before they could get him back to the Hart Dynasty and now the city around them was on fire._

_They got there at the same time as the Beta Team did._

_"You! You're really starting this shit again?! We've got bigger shit to deal with!" Dean barked. Lana's eyes narrowed, her feathers ruffled. "Silence now, fool! This is not our doing!" she snapped and the man growled right back at her._

_"Now now, I summoned you both here"_

_They all looked up, spotting Alexa sitting on a support beam. All of them bristled, but Bo was the first to move, hands glowing blue as he summoned an orb with crystal blue water in it. He smashed it and the room was engulfed in a blinding light, a cobalt dragon shooting out in a tidal wave of water towards Alexa. She smiled, leaning back and letting herself fall off of the beam from the back, grinning like mad._

_"Let's have some fun, shall we?"_

__-White,_ _

__Is cold_ _

__And always yearning,_ _

__Burdened by_ _

__A royal test-_ _

_Renee leapt up, shooting towards the falling goddess as the dragon-no doubt Bo-slammed into the beam, snarling in rage and biting it in half. The ceiling shook and Roman covered them all with a layer of ice as chunks of it fell. Abby appeared from her mist, her lip curled as she held her axe tight, two small hounds at her feet. Seth recognized the chubby one as Brimstone, but there was a slimmer, fitter hound with a crescent mark on her tummy._

_"Brim, Luna, like we practiced." She growled. Both began to glow and Abby picked up Luna, taking a step back before she launched the pup towards Alexa. The hound barked, paws glowing white as she propelled herself through the air, growing to a monstrous size, jaws open. Alexa huffed, blowing brown glitter at the hellhound._

_Pow-Pow appeared, tackling Luna out of the air, both she-beasts crashing to the ground, all snapping jaws and growls. Abby's eyes grew. "L-Luna!" she yelped. She went to run for the dog, but Roman snatched her back while Seth grabbed Brim, all of them jumping away as Bo came crashing to the ground, a tidal wave of water coming with him. He was hardly fazed, flying after Alexa, eyes glowing with pure rage. Abby stumbled and looked up at the water dragon._

_"I-I've never seen him this enraged" she whispered. Seth came to her side, setting Brim down. "Yeah? Well I have and the only way to stop him is to knock him out. He can't distinguish friend from foe" he sighed, drawing his pistols. Abby looked at him in worry._

_"I'm not going to hurt him. I just need to make sure he doesn't bring this whole area down during his tantrum." He looked towards Roman and Dean and both nodded after they realized he was asking for silent permission._

_He ran forward, leaping onto Bo's back and running up his serpentine body, holding onto his scales so he wouldn't fall off. He got to Bo's head, firing water shots at the top of his skull. The water ones wouldn't hurt him in the slightest, but it drew his attention away from destroying everything in sight to one point. Bo shot up towards the ceiling, intending to bash the nuisance on his head off but Seth jumped down at the last minute, grabbing him by his extremely long whiskers, jumping down and bringing the dragon with him, slamming him to the ground._

_"Aw, you're no fun!" Alexa huffed, twirling atop another support beam before she jumped down to a stack of crates, standing in front of Show, Antonio, and Summer._

_"What are you doing?! Seize her!" Lana barked. Adam's eyes narrowed, his hands sparking. "You sure you want to turn against us? I will not hesitate to eliminate every last one of you" He snarled, eyes going dark. The rest of Beta Team looked at him before they looked over at the group. Alexa smirked._

_"It's about time we overthrow your blind cult leader" She smirked._

_Adam moved in a flash, slamming his fist into the ground, pillars of magma rising, fast approaching the group while Lana flew through them, fingers flexing as she readied her powers. She flew over the magma, throwing her hand out to take control of their bodies so they couldn't run._

_"Now, now. You do know I'm a master puppeteer, right?" Summer's voice came from behind her and Lana took another look at the group, seeing they were marionettes instead of the real thing. Her eyes grew and all of them lunged for her, dragging her through the magma stream. She screamed, throwing up a weak barrier so she wasn't completely engulfed before she fell to the ground. Konnor and Viktor ran to her side. Her wings, arms, and legs were scorched. Adam fell to his knees beside her, putting her head in his lap as his hands began to glow light green._

_"I want all of you to take those four down while I heal her. It's going to take a bit of time." He growled. The two stood, but Luna came flying at them, whimpering slightly._

_"Luna, no!" Abby started running to the injured hound, not noticing Pow-Pow running full-speed for her. Dean did, and he ran in the way, grabbing the she beast and tossing her up, grunting when Roman jumped on his back as a boost, punching the beast into a wall._

_"How about you come out and fight us for real?" Jeff growled, paint bombs in hand. Alexa hummed. "You sure you want that? I despise your kind more than anyone else. Little pets that think they're doing something big by trying to stop humans from enslaving your kind, when you yourself allow yourself to be enslaved" Alexa appeared in front of him, the real one. Renee flew up behind Alexa, slashing at her. The blonde ducked down, and the sword nearly slashed Jeff's throat, had he not had moved back swiftly. His eyes narrowed at her._

_"Watch what the hell you're doing!"_

_"Stay out of my way!"_

_The two leered at one another while Alexa smirked shooting up and upper cutting them both in the jaw before she spin-kicked Renee in the face, grabbing Jeff by the neck and coming down with all her weight, making his chin slam hard against her head. He yelped in pain, stumbling back while she rolled away, spinning her apple on her finger as she readied some glitter in her hand. Before she could blow it, a ball of fire came her way and she had no choice but to jump out of the way. She looked up, growling as Punk approached, hands glowing bright._

_"I've got a lot of stress to get out. Looks like you're up."_

_His hands blazed brighter and she smirked._

_"Oh, I'll play with you for a bit" she cooed, running at him._

__-Black,_ _

__The beast, descends_ _

__From shadows-_ _

_"Seth, jump down!" Abby shouted, watching him hold on for dear life as Bo rampaged around. "I can't!" Seth responded, running up the side of a wall and flipping backwards onto Bo's head as the dragon slammed his own head into said wall. Seth looked down at his hands, seeing he was holding Bo's whiskers like reigns, and his lips curled upwards._

_Show and Rusev were trying to overpower one another when Bo came rampaging their way, with Seth steering him. Rusev saw this and jumped out of the way while Seth yanked hard on Bo's head, kicking him hard in the temple. The dragon roared in fury, fangs glowing blue before it fired off a powerful blast of water at Show with enough force to crush bones. Antonio saw this and ran up Bo's back, ready to strike Seth while he had his back turned._

_Abby appeared in front of them, taking the sword blow to the chest. He smirked, but blinked when he saw a black hand grab his blade, throwing them both off the side. Seth looked back, hands loosening around Bo's whiskers. He noticed this and swung to the side, throwing Seth off. He crashed into Abby, groaning when his injured back collided with the sword's handle, reopening the bandaged gashes. His eyes grew when he felt Abby groan in pain below him and he shot up, cringing when he saw he lodged the sword deeper into her chest._

_"I-I'm fine…can you yank this out, please?" Abby coughed, looking down at the crimson liquid dribbling down the blade. Seth nodded, closing his eyes as he snatched the blade out, tossing it aside as he looked at the bloodied material of Abby's dress. "Don't stare at it, Seth, I'll be fine. We need to get up" she coughed._

_Bo's attention shifted to them and he noticed his sister, spotting her bloodied state. He snarled, lunging for Seth blindly. Roman grabbed him by the jaws, growling as he yanked them apart, sliding backwards slightly as he tried to hold the monstrous serpent at bay._

_"Seth, shoot him!" He ordered. Abby frowned and Seth nodded, pulling his assault rifle off of his back and charging up a shot before he fired it. Roman got out of the way and the shot hit Bo right in the mouth, making him topple over. Abby ran to his side, gently touching his snout before she looked back at Seth._

_"I didn't put enough power to kill him. He's out for now" he reassured her and she smiled slightly. She felt a shift in the air and she turned into mist just as an axe came down where she was standing. She appeared at Roman and Seth's side, watching as a marionette in her likeness tugged her axe free. Summer jumped down to Bo's fallen form, smiling coyly as she held her hands up, several threads attached to each finger._

_"It's good to see you again, kitty. Roman, I let you and Dean get off last time, but this time, Seth will be my pet" she hissed, marionettes in each of their likeness appearing. Roman scoffed. "Yeah? That's not how I remember it. I seem to remember you running for your life" he growled. Abby clutched her axe tight._

_"I take it she's a foe?" she inquired. Seth nodded, and she stepped forward, still bleeding profusely. "Then let me handle this." She summoned a small horde of ghouls and hellhounds, Brim leading the charge since Luna was still fighting Pow Pow._

_Alexa was dashing merrily through the crates with Dean, The Ascension, and both Jeff and Renee hot on her heels. Renee and Jeff were the closest._

_"Move of the way!" She hissed, grabbing him and picking him up when Alexa summoned projectiles like the town before, throwing them at the group. Jeff squirmed out of her grip, coming in close on attacking Alexa with a bomb when she turned suddenly, hands glowing gold._

_"You're no fun, all of you, die!" she threw her hands out, the projectiles from before coming back from behind, much faster with the tips glowing gold. The Ascension duo ducked into the shadows while Dean melted the projectile down just before it nicked him. Renee didn't have enough time to change direction mid-flight and the projectile went right threw her chest, still heading towards Jeff, who turned just in time to see the projectile still ripping through the air._

__-Yellow,_ _

__Beauty burns_ _

__Gold-_ _

_He was shoved unceremoniously out of the way and it went through Punk's midsection, embedding itself into the floor._

_Jeff screamed, scrambling over to the two._

_"You idiot! Why? Dammit, what did you do?!" he screamed, trembling hands trying to tug the offensive weapon out of the two. Renee wasn't moving at all, her hair curtaining her face and her sword on the floor. Punk coughed up blood, grabbing Jeff's hands and pulling them away from his torso._

_"It's not going to work. Don't try struggling with it" he muttered, cringing in pain, his abdominal muscles flexing involuntarily, more blood rushing out. Jeff stared at him with wide eyes, tears rolling down his cheeks._

_"W-Why would you do something so stupid?" he hissed, fists balling up in his lap. Punk smiled crookedly, reaching up to touch Jeff's face, smearing blood on his cheek._

_"Because I love you and I need you to always know I'm sorry. Be happy, Jeff. Be with someone that will take care of you and love you unconditionally like I should have. I'm sorry for everything" he cringed again and Jeff grabbed his hand, eyes wide. "Stop it…stop talking like that. Phil? Punk!"_

_Phil's hand went limp in Jeff's._

_The rainbow haired man bit his lip so hard it hurt, setting Punk's hand down on his chest. The ground around him swirled with color as he fought tears, looking over to Alexa. She smirked, dusting her skirt off._

_"Why are you upset? He left you for her and she didn't give a damn about you. You should be thanking me. I did what you could never do." She purred. Jeff stood slowly, and Viktor and Konnor appeared at his sides, gauging his current expression. The two nodded at one another before they grabbed the shadows at Alexa's feet since she was finally standing still. Jeff summoned the biggest bomb he could, using every last drop of his power as he hefted it over his head, tears of anger and sadness running down his face._

_"I'll see you in hell."_

_He threw it with all his strength and Alexa struggled against the bindings, eyes wide as she saw the incoming bomb._

_Lana, who was healed just enough to see him throw the bomb, grabbed Adam and shook him, getting him to work with her on creating a barrier around all of their allies as the multi-elemented bomb hit Alexa head on, literally blowing the roof off the warehouse before it all came crashing down on them._

_The barriers faltered after the dust settled, Lana knocking herself out from over working herself. Rusev picked her up and Adam walked through the rubble, finding Jeff on his knees again over Renee and Punk. He stood behind him, not saying a word. Jeff felt him come up and he stood, throwing himself into the South African's arms, sobbing loudly. Adam wrapped an arm around his waist, petting his head and letting him cry as Seth, Dean, and Roman came up to them, cringing at their downed allies._

_Seth bent down, grabbing Renee's sword and handing it to Dean before he sighed. "What do we do now? Alexa and the others disappeared during the explosion…" he trailed off and Konnor walked up to Adam's side, an unconscious Bo thrown over his shoulder, back in his normal form. Adam sighed and looked at the Cerberus trio, watching Abby walk up to them with Brimstone and Luna in her arms in their puppy forms. She looked at him._

_"I do not wish to go back." She whispered. He closed his eyes, nodding thoughtfully._

_"I didn't see you, isn't that right, boys?" he questioned, looking to the remaining conscious members of his team. Jeff grabbed his shirt tighter, Rusev grunted, and Viktor crossed his arms. "You sure about that, Rose?" he inquired. Adam nodded, picking Jeff up bridal style when he felt the man's knees buckle._

_"She's safer here. We'll probably be on Bray's bad side if we force her to come with us, that makes us no better than Alexa. We need to get home now, Lana is still seriously wounded. Goodbye" he nodded curtly at the four and opened a dark corridor, stepping through with the men in tow. It closed, leaving them all in a deafening silence._

_"We should get home too…report to Hunter everything that happened" Dean muttered. Abby walked beside the boys on the way back to their car, sitting with Seth in the back seat. He looked down at her chest, frowning when he saw the wound still open. "Are you going to be okay?" he inquired. She nodded slowly. "It's taking a bit longer to heal for some reason, but I'll be fine." She muttered._

_The rest of the car ride home was silent._

_=WM=_

_Adam ran a hand through his hair as he plopped down on his bed. Jeff was in the shower, finally tearing himself away from his sketchbook as went to wash the dirt and grime off. Curious, Adam opened the sketchpad, unsurprised when he found Jeff had sketched the scene from earlier, in all its gruesome detail. He looked at the intricate cursive at the bottom of the page._

__-Red stains the white,_ _

__Drowns it all out_ _

__The red outnumbered the white_ _

__Purity has died tonight-_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ****God of the Chapter: Ao Kuang
> 
> One of the four Chinese dragon-gods of the sea, Ao Kuang is the dragon-god of the Eastern Sea. He commands storms and tides with the flick of a claw, and although regal in appearance, he is easily enraged by past failures.
> 
> Since he is one of the dragon-gods of the seas, he often demands tribute. In return for the worship, he keeps rivers from flooding, tides calm, and keeps rainfall going so the crops may grow. However, according to lore, long ago, it wasn't always like this and Ao Kuang once grew greedy, demanding greater sacrifices than what was given. When he was not granted this, he flooded rivers, created devastating storms, and large tidal waves to destroy the land, creating fear into the people. They dared not to speak of his violence and Ao Kuang enjoyed the control.
> 
> After two separate incidences, one by Sun Wukong and another by the demigod Nehza, Ao Kuang began to feel shame and humility, humbling him and turning his fury into resolve to rise again and exert his dominance as one of the great Dragon-Gods of the Sea.
> 
> Character of the God: Bo Dallas****


	29. Chapter 29

The four hesitantly walked into the Hart Dynasty, frowning when they ran right into Jo Jo and Alicia. The two Divas looked up in relief.

"Good, you all got back safe…where's Punk and Renee?" Alicia questioned, her black-tipped ears twitching. Abby looked away and Seth cleared his throat, scratching the back of his neck. Jo Jo noticed this and bit her lip.

"They're not…they're not coming back, are they?" she whispered. Alicia's eyes grew and Dean sighed from behind Seth. "We ran into Alexa…and she wasn't alone. She ended up taking them both out and they escaped" he muttered. Jo Jo looked away and Alicia clenched her fists. "This is bad. Someone needs to tell Aksana" she muttered, turning and running right into Natalya's chest. The phoenix grabbed her arm so she wouldn't fall and looked up at the four.

"You all go report to Hunter. I'll be there in a moment. I'll handle Aksana" she sighed, rubbing Alicia's arm before she let her go, heading past them all and leaving silently, the door slamming shut behind her. The boys exchanged a look before they made their way to the meeting room, Abby silently trailing behind them, Brim and Luna padding at her sides.

(Outside)

Aksana flipped out of the way of Michelle's strike, ducking under Rosa's swing as she threw her hand out, whip wrapping around her rapier before she snatched it back, throwing it away before she broke into a run towards her. Kaitlyn came up to her left, slamming into her side and swinging her sword. Faust wrapped around her leg from below, growing in size until he tossed her aside like a rag doll.

Michelle picked up her rapier once more and switched her dials to some random element, ready to break into a run towards Aksana when Natalya whistled, grabbing their attention. They looked her way and she cleared her throat.

"I'd hate to interrupt training, but I need to speak with Aksana alone. Go inside and wait for us to get back" she ordered and the women all complied, despite looking back at the two in interest and confusion. Aksana put her hands on her hips, catching her breath as Natalya came closer.

"What do you need?" She inquired, feeling Faust slither up her thigh before he came to a stop on her arm when she picked him up. Natalya sighed and grabbed her hand, leading her away from the area, just in case any of her Divas were peeking out of the windows, trying to listen in. They'd find out soon enough, but she'd prefer it if they didn't see Aksana break down.

She led her into the small patch of forest separating the Hart Dynasty from the burned down city and stopped around the middle of it, leaning against a tree. Aksana looked at her in confusion, reading the look on her face. "Something's wrong, isn't it? What is it?" she questioned. Natalya took a breath and looked her in the eyes.

"Renee is dead. Alexa killed her and Punk while they were out on their mission."

Aksana stared at her blankly, tilting her head to the side, laughing quietly.

"D-Don't joke around about these things, Mistress-"

"I would never joke about something like this."

Her laughing stopped immediately and a hand went over her mouth. A choked sound left her lips and Natalya pulled her against her body, cradling her head against her chest. Aksana sobbed loudly and Natalya let her, feeling the serpent woman cling to her for dear life.

(Inside)

"Alexa has completely broken away from the Wyatts. She's planning to kill Bray and take over with the title of Lord of the Underworld" Abigail whispered, drawing the attention of everyone at the table to her. Her head was bowed, and she hid partially behind Seth, grabbing his vest tight as she spoke.

"Tell us more about this girl. She killed two of our own, we need to know about her" Hunter demanded, arms crossed firmly across his chest. Abigail nodded, gently uncurling her fist from Seth's vest and stepping out.

"My mind is a bit hazy, since I was under her control, but Alexa is the reincarnated goddess of chaos. The only reason she joined the Wyatt Family is because their methods cause chaos, fueling her powers and hunger for it. She feeds on it. Her main method of fighting is to use the glitter she summons with her hands. By blowing it, she summons elements and weapons at will. Her signature seems to be the lance projectiles she used to…y'know…" she trailed off when members all around the table tensed up. Hunter nodded, listening intentely while Matt sat up a bit straighter.

"How…how did my baby brother take it?" he questioned slowly. Abigail's brow rose in confusion and she looked over to Roman-who was at her other side-in question. "Jeff." He answered her unspoken question and Abigail shifted from foot to foot.

"He…he was enraged. He ended up blowing the whole warehouse up in his rage. He wasn't hurt, though. Alexa and the others managed to escape…"she trailed off. Matt sighed in relief and Shannon squeezed his hand under the table. Hunter rubbed his temples and eyed the four.

"I want you four to-"

"Where is it?!"

The group jolted when the door slammed open and Aksana came barreling in, tear stains on her cheeks. Natalya was right behind her.

"Where is what?" Dean grunted. Aksana stopped in front of them. "Where is the sacred sword? Renee's…"

"The one she ripped from your back?" Seth inquired. Aksana flinched at the mention but nodded. Seth held out the desired item. It was wrapped in a cloth. He pulled it off, holding it out. Aksana went to grab it when it shocked her enough to scorch her fingers. She yelped in pain and took a step back, frowning.

"Even after this, and the blade still rejects me?" she muttered to herself. Seth frowned and Natalya put a hand on her shoulder. Aksana looked at the three men, eyes icy.

"You all can hold it, can't you?" she whispered. Seth was inclined to lie, but Dean took the weapon in his hand, not saying a word while Roman simply nodded. A small, humorless laugh left Aksana's lips before she shook with the force of it, throwing her head back, practically cackling. Abigail flinched, scuffling closer to Seth. No one said a word, and they all waited for the woman to come down from her hysterics. She smiled at the men, but it was clearly hollow.

"She's chosen you three, even after death. That sword holds great power, and only those deemed worthy by the heavens can wield it. It is your greatest weapon now." She told them, with Faust slithering up her arm to curl around her neck, 8 sets of beady eyes eyeing them.

"We're leaving it here when we go out" Dean stated, and Aksana gasped, eyes growing.

"What? W-Why-"

"It would kill you to see us waving that thing around, wouldn't it?" Roman cut her off and she looked away. "It's not a matter of emotions" she whispered. He shook his head, crossing his arms firmly across his chest.

"This whole war is personal. Dean and I can manage just fine. And if Seth gets any more weapons, he won't be so light footed anymore" he reasoned and Abigail peeked her head out, looking over at Aksana.

"You need not worry about back up weapons. My hellhounds and I should be more than enough…you…you need to heal, and anyone using that sword would do you no good" she whispered. Her voice sent a chill down Aksana's spine, and she frowned, not understanding why. Hunter cleared his throat, cutting the conversation off before it could continue any more.

"I want you all resting now. As of now, you four, and Aksana are off missions until further notice." He sighed, and all of them looked at him in surprise, crying out in protest. Abigail was the one to actually speak out.

"Wait! I need to be able to fight, someone has to take Alexa down before-"

"You consider yourself our ally, do you not?" He grunted and she nodded without hesitation.

"O-Of course I do-"

"Then you follow my orders. Look at you all. You're in no condition to fight. If I sent you all out now, I'm sending you out to get injured or killed. You're drained physically and emotionally. Rest. That's an order." He commanded and Abby's lips tilted down into a frown. She bit her lip, looking down and nodding.

"Good. Wade, I need to speak with you and your boys. Randy, John, Evan, you stay as well. Everyone else, dismissed"

Reluctantly, they left quietly, spilling out into the hall. Seth looked down at Abby, who was holding Brim and Luna tight in her arms.

"Hey, are you alright? Do you need to rest?" he inquired. She shook her head, looking down a different hallway. "I need to walk. I will return" she mumbled, turning and gracefully making her way off. Roman reached out and grabbed her onyx-colored wrist, startling her. She looked back at him and he stared firmly down at her.

"Do not go off on your own. Seth won't rest if you do, and then you've got a problem with Dean and I" he told her and she smiled ever so slightly, nodding once before he let her go and turned back to Dean and Seth.

"Let's get upstairs then. We all need showers"

(WM)

Adam groaned when he felt a shift in the bed. Sitting up, he looked to his left, squinting in the dark to see Jeff's silhouette. He was clutching his head, shaking breaths leaving him and Adam sighed, touching his arm and turning him around, pulling him into his arms.

"Do you want me to see if I can find his soul? I can try and reanimate him" he offered and Jeff looked up at him, brows knitted together.

"You…you can do that?"

"It'll be like my Rosebuds if I don't use the Necronomicon, but yes. I'll go wake Lana" He gently pushed him away and moved to get up when Jeff threw his arms around him, burying his face in his shoulder.

"Don't go."

It was a whimper. Adam frowned, looking back at him, feeling Jeff trembling. "Bunny, I'm not going anywhere. I just need to talk to Lana to get assistance looking for his soul for you" he explained soothingly. Jeff squeezed him tighter.

"Why are you offering to do this? You…you don't want me?" Jeff inquired softly, almost like a scared child. Adam chuckled, closing his eyes.

"More than you can ever comprehend, bunny. But I will not let that cloud my judgment. If me bringing him back is what will make you truly happy, I will." He told him and Jeff looked down.

"Why aren't you angry at me for not having feelings for just you?"

"Because I can't simply expect you to drop all your feelings for the man you've known and loved for years for me. I lived my first life being cold and heartless; I don't intend to do the same now. Take as much time as you need, or, I can try to bring him back for you" he offered. Jeff leaned up, pressing his lips against his cheek. Adam blinked in surprise and Jeff pressed his forehead against his when he turned towards him.

"I don't deserve you"

Adam went to protest, but Jeff just leaned up, giving him the smallest of kisses before turning away, crawling back under the blankets. He touched his lips before chuckling, sliding up beside him, their backs pressed together.

_'I should be telling you that'_

(Elsewhere)

Seth stood in the shower with his head pressed against the wall, the water running down his shoulders. Guilt and fear washed over him as well.

Perhaps…perhaps they should be running. So far, they haven't had any real forms of victory with the exception of Abigail being with them, and even that was overshadowed by the fact that two of their own ranks were dead, one was with their enemy-whom he wasn't sure he should consider ally or foe-and they still have two other groups to worry about.

They were horribly outnumbered.

Seth sighed, tail curling around his waist as the water started to get cold. He got out quickly and dried off, leaving the towel in the bathroom as he went. He found Dean sitting at one corner of the room in the window ceil smoking a cigarette, leg bouncing uncontrollably while Roman stared down at his hand, small ice crystals forming on his fingertips.

Seth got dressed quietly, sitting down at the foot of the bed, propping his elbows up on his knees, trying to think of any solutions they could use to deal with the problem. His mind only came up with one; run.

"Relax a bit, Seth." Roman muttered, reaching out to grab him, pulling him in his lap. Seth curled up in his arms, whining quietly. "What are we going to do?" he questioned, lacing his fingers with Roman's. The Samoan liger sighed, gently rubbing the back of his knuckles with his thumb, trying to think of a logical answer. "We stand and fight. Someone has to. We're all a family just as much as the Wyatts say they are. So we stand and fight and we will win. Our resolve is much stronger than theirs could ever be" he said quietly. Seth hummed thoughtfully, looking over at Dean, who hadn't even looked in their direction yet, the ember of the cigarette illuminating part of his face in a dim orange glow. Roman followed his gaze and clicked his tongue.

"Dean, get over here" he said suddenly, and even though his tone was light, it was clear that it wasn't up for debate. Dean's eyes finally flickered over to them before he noticed how distressed Seth was. He took one last drag from his cigarette before snuffing it out in an ashtray, blowing the smoke out into the night before closing the open window. He pushed himself up, striding over to them before sitting down heavily beside them, putting his head in Seth's lap.

Seth smiled faintly, grabbing Dean's hand so he was holding both of their hands.

They all sat in comfortable silence, drifting off after a while. Abigail returned to them at some point during the night, quietly slipping into Seth's mind without disturbing any of them. She settled at the back, curling up and allowing herself to get her own rest within the quiet comfort of his mind.

(8 am, WM)

Bayley sat with her legs crossed, watching as Sasha mumbled a few things to herself before writing them down in her spellbook. The woman was trying to remember forgotten spells that she had lost all memory of.

"Sasha, do you need help?" she inquired after a few more minutes of observing. Sasha looked over at her, chewing her gum thoughtfully for a moment. Bayley fully expected her to come back with a snappy, rude response, but instead, she simply nodded once.

"You wanna help? Come at me." She beckoned her forward, sitting on her broom and holding her book in one hand, tossing her sunglasses aside. Bayley blinked at her for a moment before she nodded, standing up and rolling her neck, a small smile coming to her face. A pair of crème colored ears appeared on her head followed by a swirling, crème and fire red fluffy tail wagged behind her. She crouched, feet pressed firmly against the ground. Sasha grabbed her broom tight.

"No holding back"

She barely had enough time to finish the sentence before Bayley took off like a shot, as she bolted towards Sasha. The woman backed up quickly, muttering something in Latin as a thunderbolt appeared in her hand. She gripped it tight, throwing it at her. Bayley flipped out of the way, landing in a low crouch before she ran full-speed at her, tackling her off of the broom before she could utter another spell. She and Sasha rolled for a bit before the witch was on bottom. She kicked Bayley hard in the stomach to get her off before rolling to grab her book. Bayley beat her to it, kicking it hard, out of reach.

Emma and Sami watched from their spot in a nearby tree, watching their teammates spar, a bright smile on Bayley's face while Sasha tried to hide the small one coming to her own. Emma was chewing on a small granola bar, adjusting her mask.

"Have you heard from Lord Bray?" she questioned absently, tilting her head as Bayley jumped away from Sasha's flaming whip, diving at her with her tail trailing fire behind her. Sami closed his eyes, legs crossed pretzel style as he leaned against the tree's trunk.

"He's locked himself in his chambers with the Necronomicon, Luke, and Erick. He won't even let Paige and Corey in. For now, We're probably free to conduct our own solo missions or rest until we're given orders" he responded, slowly inhaling and exhaling. Emma didn't say anything more, knowing Sami was trying to meditate. It helped him focus his energy and got it flowing through his body. He did this often, but Emma herself knew she wouldn't be able to sit still long enough to do the same.

Absentmindedly, she unwrapped another granola bar, mind wandering to their next move.

(Later, HD)

Abigail was on her way back to Seth, Dean, and Roman when she nearly tripped over her own two feet, feeling the familiar pull of darkness and the harsh whispers flooding her mind.

_"t...ll me w..y…_

_D..nt le..ve me…_

_I'm sc...ed…"_

The whispers were so close, they seemed to be in her own head, but Abigail could hear the small space between them and her own mind. She frowned, briskly changing direction and walking down a different hall. She stopped at a dark oak door, her light hand twisting the knob gently as she entered. She found Hunter asleep, tossing and turning with Shawn at his side with a wet rag, sighing. She could hear the whispers clearly now, since they were now screams.

**Tell me why you weren't here!**

**D-Don't leave me…**

**I'm scared…**

**Hunter!"**

Abigail gasped, drawing Shawn's attention. His muscles tensed defensively, hand gripping the rag tight enough to have water dripping out of it. "What are you doing in here?" he hissed, a protective arm over Hunter's stomach. Abigail looked away before turning her eyeless gaze back to him.

"His nightmare. I can hear it..I can take it from him so he can rest peacefully" she told him. Shawn stared warily at her and she stepped closer, both Brim and Luna sitting at the door.

"You can be at ease. I will not hurt him." she reassured and eventually Shawn nodded with a sigh. Abigail hummed, disappearing into a sparkling black and white mist, phasing into Hunter's mind.

_She felt a chill before she heard a wet squelch sound._

_She recoiled when she looked down, finding her boot covered in blood. There were several pools of blood around her and she could hear sobbing coming not too far off._

_Slowly, she followed it, finding Hunter crouched over a bloodied woman, the light in her eyes was fading. Abigail got on her knees beside him, feeling the blood soak through her dress as she put a hand over Hunter's shoulder._

_"Hunter, you are in a nightmare" she whispered. He didn't respond, rubbing over the woman's bloodied stomach, eyes puffy and red, tears still rolling down his cheeks. Abigail frowned and looked to the woman's stomach, noticing the basketball-like shape._

_A small, knowing sigh left her lips and she put her monochrome hands over his eyes, whispering something in Latin._

_Her knees dried and Hunter's tears went dry. When she removed her hands, the woman was standing in front of him in a white wedding dress, smiling and extending a hand to him._

_"Paul, get up, you'll dirty your suit! It's time for our reception, why are you outside?" she inquired. He blinked, looking back, but not seeing the two toned ghost behind him. "I...I don't know" he shook his head and smiled, taking her hand and kissing her cheek, walking back into the church with a tight arm around her waist._

_Abigail looked down at her hand, a fire-red hardened crystal in her hand before she turned and walked out of Hunter's mind completely._

Shawn blinked in surprise when Abigail appeared again, holding a large crystal. "What did you do? What is that?" He questioned insistently. She looked at the crystal for a moment before looking back to him.

"It is his nightmare. I may not be able to change time, but I can eat nightmares. He should be at eased for the rest of the night" she told Shawn, turning away and gracefully heading towards the door. He kissed Hunter's temple and looked over at her.

"Thank you" he whispered. Abigail smiled, never turning around.

"You are welcome, friend. Rest easy"

(WM)

Embers flitted around in the air, small orange sparks dancing throughout the air. A loud clang reverberated through the air, over and over again, accompanied by grunts with every clang.

**'Clang!**

**Clang!**

**Clang!'**

Soft fingers polished over a shimmering, slate-colored arrowhead, a low hum leaving the owner's slightly pursed lips.

**'Clang!**

**Clang!**

**Clang'**

Honey eyes opened and the owner surveyed the area. Adrian was at one corner of the rock garden, forging something, loudly beating it into shape with a hammer. His hair was tied back in a low, tight bun while he worked, sweat rolling off his skin. Tyler was sitting cross-legged on top of a smooth boulder, polishing his arrows with deliberate strokes.

Charlotte took a deep breath, before she whistled, drawing the attention of both males.

"Alright, boys. We leave at dusk. I think it's time we pay our teammate a little visit" she growled. Tyler's lip curled up and Adrian's eyes narrowed, slamming the hammer even harder onto the weapon.

**'Clang'**


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Content warning for graphic depictions of violence and copious mentions of blood)

Alexa yawned and strode merrily through the halls of a palace she had taken over when she got to the Underworld. She twirled a piece of her blue-tipped hair around her index finger, smiling wide when she stopped in front of a mirror that was covered in a thick blanket, surrounded by chains. She stepped closer, running her fingers over the thick steel chains. A grin came to her lips.

"Oh, I bet you're dying to get to me, arent ya, Charlotte?" she hummed to the covered mirror, tilting her head as her nails scraped against the thick bindings. "Oh, but I know all of your tricks, sister. Your mirror parlor tricks won't work on me." she stepped away and twirled.

"It'll all be ruined if you come too early, won't it? No, I've got something...special in mind for you all" she hummed and turned her back, heading down the hall as her voice changed, lowering to an angered growl.

"Something special for my _favorite_ teammates."

(WM)

Charlotte growled, trying to clear her mind and focus on Alexa's aura. The glittery goddess had hid her energy well and now Charlotte couldn't sense her, even in the Underworld. She hissed and slammed her palms down on the table, eyes narrowed.

Adrian didn't look up from what he was doing, fastening a belt around his waist with several pockets. Bayley often called him Batman because of it, saying he had his own utility belt. Well…she wasn't wrong, in that aspect.

Tyler hummed, staring at his reflection in a handheld mirror. He was parting his hair with the upmost care as he pushed the golden strands back into a ponytail when the mirror cracked, spider-webbing all the way down. He huffed in annoyance before he looked up at Charlotte.

"Alright, miss Mary. You know my mirrors are off-limits" he hissed. Her lip curled up in anger. "I'm trying to feel for Alexa! How the hell do you expect me to do that with your damn aura right under my nose? Get off of the damn mirrors until we have her head!" she snapped. Tyler was about to snap back, but Adrian cleared his throat.

"Stop fighting. You can save that for when we get our hands on Alexa. Now, Charlotte, focus bird" Adrian said firmly. The woman shot Tyler another look before she sat down, closing her eyes and gnashing her teeth together.

"That ass is ours, Alexa, you can't hide forever" she hissed under her breath.

(HD)

Abigail lay on the boys' bed, staring up at the ceiling, bare legs dangling over the side of the mattress. Her head was on one of Roman's thick thighs while he was engrossed in polishing his knives, eyes narrowed. In the short time she'd been there, Roman and Dean had warmed up to her, treating her like their own little sister. The small goddess was grateful for this show of hospitality, since she often felt her very presence was a burden on Seth.

"…Roman?" she whispered quietly, her fingers folded over her stomach. Roman grunted quietly, looking down at her, a smooth brow arched curiously. "What is it?" he inquired. She slowly broke her gaze with the ceiling and looked at him, chewing on her lip.

"Do…do you think we can really stop them?" she questioned, shuffling ever so slightly. Roman set the knife he had in his hand down before he looked down at the two toned woman. He was unsure if she was actually looking back at him when he looked down into her void-like sockets, but that didn't matter.

"It would be horribly cliché to go into a rallying speech about how good always trumps evil. But I do know we're both fueled by the same thing now; revenge." He clenched his fist, eyes hard as he lifted his gaze to stare out of the window. "I don't know what will happen. All I know is I won't let anything happen to you and the boys" he stated with finality. She lifted her soft, white hand and touched his fist, a small smile on her face.

"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep" she whispered, and his brows furrowed for a moment before Seth burst into the room. "Y-You're gonna wanna see this!" he panted, hair disheveled and tail swaying erratically behind him. Abigail sat up immediately, slipping on her boots while Roman grabbed his knives, both running after the two toned cat as he took off down the hall. They stopped in the doorway of the meeting room, where everyone was gathered, glaring at the screen.

Alexa's face smiled back as she sat cross-legged on a throne, eyes half lidded.

"Let the games begin!"

*5 minutes earlier*

Alexa smiled as she stood in an arena in the center of the Underworld. There were demons and malicious spirits roaring from the sidelines of the colosseum arena. She raised her hand to quiet the masses, eyes twinkling darkly as she spoke up.

"Tonight, you all are in for the night of your lives! My name is Alexa Bliss and I am the soon-to-be ruler of this godforsaken place. I've prepared some… _special_ entertainment for you all." She cooed, snapping her fingers. "Show, bring me the mirror!" she ordered. The behemoth of a man nodded, disappearing into the room behind her before he wheeled out the oversized mirror, holding onto the chains. Alexa raised her hand to stop him as she stood, walking around to run her fingers over the cloth and chains like she had did earlier that day.

"Beyond this, lies our show. Tell me, how many of you would like to watch three of our current Lord's lapdogs die, live and in living color?" she inquired, laughing when she heard the crowd erupt in cheers once more. She rolled her neck on her shoulders and rubbed her hands together, blowing silver glitter out. It trickled down in the air before swirling and shooting up, large tv monitors popping up at every corner of the arena. The chaos goddess crossed her arms and smirked wildly. "The whole world will be watching our event. It'll be to _die_ for" she cackled. Summer and Antonio shook their heads from behind her and she crossed her arms, huffing stubbornly.

"Fine. Don't laugh at my puns! See if I care" she pouted, turning to the mirror, eyes hardening as she wrapped her fingers around the chains. She began to hum as she pulled on them. The lights in the arena dimmed and Pow-Pow spit out a fireball that split into several plumes, all floating in mid-air around the throne, Alexa, and the mirror. Antonio closed his eyes, summoning ice and then putting it close to a plume, the melting water trickling down like it was from a faucet. Alexa's lips curled up.

_'Bloody Mary…'_

From within the Wyatt Manor, Charlotte's eyes snapped open and the woman looked around, feeling Alexa's voice in her head. She hissed, unable to feel where she was just yet. Tyler and Adrian exchanged a look before both of them came closer to her, holding onto her wrists as she snarled, eyes flashing red.

"Where are you, you bitch?!" she snarled.

Alexa tugged the chains off the mirror, letting them fall heavily to the floor at her feet.

_'Bloody Mary…'_

The plumes of fire increased in intensity and the beasts in the audience sat at the edge of their seats as Alexa pushed the mirror over the edge of the throne area, snatching the cloth off as it plummeted.

_'Bloody Mary~!'_

As soon as the cloth was off, the bright lights in the colosseum came back on at full intensity and three figures shot out of the mirror before it shattered, all posed and ready to attack in a triangle formation. They blinked in confusion when they saw where they were, standing in an arena with Underworld dwellers cheering loudly.

"Hello~ Glad you got here safe!" Alexa cooed from her spot, sitting on her throne once more. Tyler was the first to react, drawing his bow faster than one could blink, firing three lead arrows her way. She smiled from ear to ear, snapping her fingers, a barrier forming over the opening of the area. His arrows broke upon impact, falling uselessly to the ground. He hissed and Alexa giggled.

"It won't be that easy. No, I allowed you three to come here to be live entertainment for all of my future followers. Well…until you die, that is. You see those screens up there?" she inquired, pointing up. Reluctantly, the trio looked up, finding the enlarged screens projecting their own faces. Alexa rolled her neck.

"Well, it's not just my lovelies who are watching your imminent demise. I'm so generous; I took the liberty to hijack every single screen, mirror, and mind in both the Overworld and the Underworld. Wave hi to daddy, Charlotte!" Alexa cheered before her smile fell with her cheerful tone.

"Because he and everyone else have no choice but to watch you die." She cooed, snapping her fingers. The gates opened and a mob of screeching and wailing demons of all kinds of species came running at the three as the world watched on. Alexa sat back and purred.

"Let the games begin!" She cooed from her perch.

Tyler sighed and drew another arrow. "She doesn't really think she can take us down that easily, does she?" He inquired rhetorically. Adrian gripped his tomahawk and hammer hard and Charlotte clenched her fists.

"Let's give her a reminder what we can do, boys. That's an order!" she barked. The two men nodded and Tyler's wings appeared on his back. He took off, getting farther from the oncoming mob as Adrian and Charlotte ran for them head on. Adrian cut and sliced his way through at first, while Charlotte ran up his back while he was crouched down. He sprang up and sent her flying. She twisted her body and kicked the barrier protecting Alexa hard, irises dark with anger. Alexa smiled and blew her a kiss when the barrier simply repelled her.

The dirty blonde landed on her hands, flipping out of the way of an orc that tried to club her when she landed. She snarled and swept its feet, force palming it hard in the throat when it fell before she hefted it up and threw it into an oncoming flock of harpies. They screeched in pain and Charlotte picked up the orc's fallen club, running full-speed towards the mob in rage.

Tyler's lip curled when he heard the audience cheering. "Disgusting ugos! All of you!" he snarled, drawing five arrows and firing them all in one shot, letting them rain down into the mob, each one having a small explosion upon hitting something, shards of lead flying every which way. When it hit an enemy, if it wasn't immediately killed, it turned on the rest of the group, violently fighting until it was killed by one of them.

"Give me some room!" he hissed to Adrian and Charlotte. The two exchanged a look before nodding leaping away from the confused crowd as Tyler drew back a single arrow, the tip glowing a violent, electric blue. He snarled when he let it go, the arrow, flying to the ground and causing a large explosion that shook the arena. He smirked when he saw the chaos caused, but it fell immediately when Alexa snapped her fingers, a dark corridor opening right above them.

"Cute. But I think we need some more fliers. You seem to be pretty lonely up there, Breezy!" she giggled. The blonde's eyes grew and he flew away immediately as large, snarling flying lizards emerged. They had long, serpentine bodies and a spiked, mace-like tail. "Enjoy the Wyverns!" Alexa cheered as he flapped his wings frantically.

"Dammit dammit dammit!" he barked, going down for a nose dive. Adrian saw the opportunity and opened one of the pouches on his belt, throwing out some clumps of iron. He clenched his fist and the imperfect clumps were enveloped in a slate-colored light before he brought them together, the light growing in intensity. The wyverns screeched in protest and Adrian flicked his hand, a huge sword breaking out of the light.

"Alexa's not the only one that likes projectiles" he spat as the blade flew at the wyverns before they could fly out of the way, impaling and killing three of the five that came out of the corridor. The sword flew all the way to the opposing side of the arena, green blood showering down onto the field. It bubbled and hissed upon impact and Tyler's lip curled when he saw it. He was about to say something witty when a wyvern flew up from his blind spot, swinging its body around so it's spiked tail slammed full-force into his abdomen, sending him crashing down to the ground, knocking Charlotte over in the process.

The goddess growled and pushed him aside violently as Pow-Pow came storming at them. Charlotte snarled and dug her nails into her arm, aggressively dragging them down and gashing it as the she-beast came into her sight. The blood pooled around her fingers hardened around her hand and she slammed her palm up, nearly breaking her lion head's jaw. Pow-Pow wobbled slightly, off balance and Charlotte roundhoused her in the face with enough force to send her flying towards Alexa's watch room. She slammed hard against the barrier, before falling to the ground, twitching ever so slightly.

The dirty blonde panted and squeezed her arm, forcing more blood out before she drew her hand away, a meat cleaver appearing in her hand from the blood. Her eyes narrowed and she glared at the chaos goddess, spitting in the direction of the corpses of the fallen demons and creatures she sent after her. Adrian returned to his spot at her left while Tyler hovered over them, his jacket gone. His stomach was bruised and the god's eyes were lit with rage.

"You're going to pay for this bruise with your head" he spat. Charlotte smirked, gripping the cleaver tighter.

"Is this really all you've got? You summoned all these low-class rats to sit in attendance and watch; you have two worlds watching your failures. What were your words? Oh, live and in living color!" Charlotte mocked. Alexa's eyes narrowed and she looked to Antonio, Show, and Summer. "Do me a favor and make them stop breathing. I don't want to rely on my lizard. He gets…angry when I wake him" she spat. The three nodded, jumping down into the arena once the barrier was lowered. It was put back immediately after they touched the ground.

"Oh? Like we're scared of Taker's old flunkies!" Tyler hissed, drawing his bow. Charlotte smirked and nodded at each man.

"Go, delta maneuver!" she ordered.

Tyler shot upwards, wings spread fully while Adrian opened three more of his pouches, pulling out lead, iron, and steel fragments. He threw them all upwards while Charlotte ran at the three, a mere blur of dirty blonde locks. "No you don't!" Antonio snarled, slamming his fist into the ground and raising an ice wall. Charlotte smirked and sprang up, grabbing the top of the wall, holding herself up with a handstand.

"Ohhh~" the crowd gaped in awe, much to her annoyance. She let herself drop, kicking the top of the wall and breaking it off. The heavy ice began to plummet with her below it, but the goddess only smirked, using her cleaver as an ice pick and climbing to the top. She used her powerful legs and pushed down, launching herself up and forcing the slab down onto the three. Show scoffed, winding his fist back and punching the ice to pieces before it could injure them. Summer threw her hands out, the threads on her fingers a shimmering gold as she summoned her marionettes.

Charlotte clashed blades with one as it lunged at her before she pushed it back, ducking down when another aimed to club her in the back of the head. "Now!" she screamed, jolting out of the way. All eyes snapped back to Adrian, who remained where he was, eyes closed and hands glowing. He clenched them into fists and Tyler's roar from above drew the attention upwards. Tyler had his bow drawn, several glowing arrows being held between his fingers while a larger bow was just above him, constructed from Adrian's own powers. Antonio, Summer, and Show had a small, shared of moment of realization.

"Oh… _Shit_ -"

"Fire!" All three Wyatt members screamed, and Tyler let go, firing both the arrows from his own bow and the bow behind him. The arrows all gleamed as they flew through the air, flying so fast, the onlookers could not only feel the gust of wind as it flew past them, but also see and _feel_ the powerful energy radiating off of the arrowheads. Charlotte used her cleaver and gashed into her leg, grinding her teeth to keep from crying out. With the blood from the new wound, she created a hardened barrier that would protect her from the blast. Adrian grabbed a shard of steel from one of his earlier attacks and gripped it so hard it hurt, his whole body becoming covered in the material as he crouched low to the ground, bracing for impact.

And it was _quite_ the impact.

The explosions that followed were both deafening and blinding. Several of the arrows were direct hits, shredding through skin and bone in an artistic explosion of both the elements and destruction.

When the dust settled, Alexa was on her feet, laughing madly. Show was down, in a pool of his own blood while Antonio was struggling to stand, two arrows through his thighs and gashes all over his body. Out of all of them, Summer had the least amount of damage. Her arm was burnt, but other than that, she was fine because she brought her marionettes up last minute too shield her. Despite that, it was clear that all three of them were unable to continue on.

Alexa's clap pierced through the crowd's stunned silence.

"Bravo! Bravo! I was curious to see how well you all would execute those moves without my pixie dust to help you out. But we're not done here yet. No…no no, I've got one more surprise for you" she hummed, looking to the bowl beside her. It was full of black and red glitter, a small aura of pure evil surrounding the bowl. She took Antonio's bowl of water and poured it over the glitter before she threw it over the side.

It swirled, the water enveloping the glitter before it solidified, hitting the ground with enough force to leave a crater. What looked to be a single fish egg was what was left over. Everyone could see something moving from within the large egg, shifting, before a pair of eyes appeared, staring at the three from within the egg. Adrian growled and emptied his second to last pouch, which had onyx and steel within. He created a large lance; with the same shape and sleek style as Alexa's own trademarked ones. He looked her in the eyes and winked as he threw his hand forward, sending the lance flying towards the egg. Alexa's lip curled, but she didn't move from her spot, smiling from ear to ear as the lance only made it a few inches into the egg before stopping completely. It wiggled for a moment before dislodging itself and turning, flying right back at them.

"The fuck?!" Tyler chirped, grabbing both of them by their wrists and flying away as fast as he could with their added weight, just barely getting them out of the way before the lance impaled the ground where they once were. Alexa waved her hand dismissively.

"Crying shame you couldn't get that lance through. That seems to be a reoccurring problem with you, Adrian. You always come up short" she cooed, eyes twinkling when the blacksmith god spat out curses at her from his spot in the air. "Hey, ugo, stop wiggling! I will drop you, elf ears!" Tyler scolded, tightening his grip on Adrian's wrist despite his threat. Alexa tossed her hair behind her shoulder.

"If you were actually talented like me, you would've gotten the job done. But now my pet has finished getting his strength up. I'm afraid this is the last act of our play. I did enjoy playing with you all one last time, but you really need to die now, kay kay?" she hummed, snapping her fingers.

The fish egg cracked and the eyes that stared out at them turned from white to yellow, the cloudy whiteness that covered the creature inside falling to the bottom of the shell as a black, clawed hand pressed against the egg. It cracked even more before the creature burst from it, pieces of the shell flying every which way, a large piece knocking into Tyler before he could get out of the way. It made them fly all the way to the other side of the arena, hitting a monitor full-force.

The three plummeted to the ground, groaning in pain when they landed. From the other side, they heard a growl rumble through the arena. They looked up, seeing a huge onyx plated dragon staring at them, standing on all fours. Its amber eyes were narrowed, saliva dripping from its teeth as it stared them down. It rose to its hind legs, snarling loudly, the sound literally shaking the very foundation of the arena.

"Meet Bahamut~ Isn't he cute?" Alexa cooed. The dragon sneered, looking back at her, unimpressed. "Why have you summoned me?" he growled. Alexa pointed to the three gods on the ground. "I want you to punish them, my sweet little lizard." She ordered passively. Bahamut glared at her.

"Bahamut is _no_ little lizard. What stops Bahamut from crushing tiny yellow woman?" he snarled, leaning closer to the throne. All the while, Tyler had readied another arrow, his chest heaving with anger as blood ran down from his temple.

"You injured my perfect face, you overgrown salamander! Die!" he snarled, firing the arrow. It gleamed bright with power from his rage, but it simply imbedded itself in the beast's back, causing a dull pain that drew his attention back to them. Alexa purred.

"That. I summoned you. They want to kill you. They are bad, bad people my sweet little Baha. Kill them for me and I'll give you whatever you want" she bargained. The dragon dropped back to his hands, tail swaying angrily as it snorted, steam coming from his flared nostrils.

"Bahamut will kill the puny gods!" he snarled, charging.

"Dammit, Tyler! Omega maneuver, split up now!" Charlotte ordered, running to the left. Adrian ran to the right and Tyler spat out a curse, flying up once more. They surrounded the dragon in a triangle formation, ready to attack but Bahamut swung his mighty tree trunk-like tail, catching Adrian hard and sending him flying back, into one of the concrete walls. It cracked, leaving a crater as the short god fell to his knees, coughing violently, blood splattering onto the ground. Charlotte ran up his tail, using more of her blood to increase the size of her cleaver. She jumped up and let gravity take her down, aiming to behead him.

The same problem arouse, the thickness of the dragon's hide becoming an issue, although she did make a serious cut. Blood gushed out and he roared angrily, reaching back and snatching her off, throwing her violently to the ground before he rose on his hind legs, only to come down with his full weight, one of his clawed feet slamming into the woman. She screamed in pain, sinking deeper into the ground as he repeated the action over and over.

Tyler growled, flicking his bow out. Two blades appeared from the ends and he dove down. His bow could become a melee weapon as well, but the god usually preferred to stay as far out of range as he could so his face wasn't injured. But now that his face was damaged and they'd probably all die if he didn't do anything…

"Get off her!" he snarled, swinging and stabbing the dragon right in the snout. He roared and shook his head, thrashing around, swinging his feet and tail wildly. The demons in attendance screamed in horror as the dragon began to trash the stands in its mad dash to get the bladed bow out. He finally did and tossed the bow down to the ground, seeing red when he saw the perpetrator picking Charlotte up out of the crater he left her in.

"You! You all die!" he roared, rearing his head back and puffing his chest out before spitting fireballs at the three. He didn't stop after they were hit, either. He spit the molten spheres at them long after the arena floor was engulfed in flames. He only stopped when Alexa jumped down from her perch, sitting on his head and petting him to calm him down.

"How's it feel to _burn?_ Hm? Where's your Lord Bray now? Where's your precious Rollins?" she spat before she laughed, the small giggle melting into a crazed, maddened cackle. "I'll tell you. Bray's been _dying_ to get his hands on me ever since I started my broadcast of your doom, but he can't. I put nullifiers all around this arena. No one gets in or out unless _I_ want them to! He's grinding his teeth now, rocking in his little old creaky rocking chair, talking to the voices in his delusional head. He's no Lord. He's nothing but a failure. But hey, at least you three get to feel like Abigail did. Needing Bray to save you, but in the end, you're going to die just like she did, and there's no coming back for you!" Alexa clenched her fists, eyes dark.

"I don't care for the humans. They're nothing but selfish, annoying, whiny sacks of meat with a superiority complex. Our mission, our _passion_ was to purge the world of every last one of them that didn't know their damn place! But no… _no_ , you all let your own accomplishments get overshadowed by this mystery man that none of us had ever met. Who is Seth?! Huh? He's a disgusting _pet_! He wants peace between their world and ours, and you fucking idiots just eat it right up, don't you? Well, where's your kitty cat? Huh?! He's trembling in his boots right now" She rolled her neck and leaned forward, looking directly at the wisp so her blazing eyes projected onto the screens she had forcibly set up all over both worlds.

"Seth, the way I see it, you've got a few options left. You can crawl your sorry ass into the deepest, darkest hole you can find with your _daddies_ and pray to every single god you've ever encountered that I don't find you, or you can take one of those pistols, put it right in that pretty mouth of yours that everyone seems to love so much, and _pull the trigger_." The blonde sneered. She smiled suddenly, her voice back to its upbeat coo.

"Or try me. I'd love to kill you myself, just for all the times I had to hear your fucking name, expecting someone strong, and all I get is someone's pet. You're the only one left in your family, Sethie boy. Killing you means I kill the last of a dying breed and _damn_ that feels good. I will become the new Lord of the Underworld. And when I do, I will take over the Overworld as well and every last one of your goody goody two shoes friends will die by my hand. This is _my_ world, and there's no room in my ideal world for useless pets" she mewled, twirling her hair.

"…You know…you always did talk _way_ too fucking much."

Alexa blinked, looking down at the arena grounds. Her eyes narrowed when she saw Charlotte barely standing, burned and bloody as she glared up at her. Alexa scoffed. "Always the glutton for punishment, hm? What are you gonna do? Hm? You've used the last of your energy, you can barely stand! Tyler and Adrian were burnt to crisps, why won't you just die too?!" she laughed venomously. Charlotte's lips curled up into a smile.

"I am genetically superior to you every single way. I, no, _we_ refuse to be killed to a glittery pixie traitor and her pet lizard" she laughed weakly, falling to one knee. Alexa stared at her for a moment before laughing. "Oh? Is this the Flair fighting spirit I've heard so much about? Well, hit me with your best shot!" she challenged.

"Don't mind if we do. Go, Alpha maneuver!" Charlotte barked.

Alexa's eyes grew when she suddenly felt an immense power. She and Bahamut turned their heads to see Tyler had gotten behind them, a lone crimson arrow drawn back. The arrow was sleek, absolutely perfect. Tyler growled and spat before he let the arrow fly.

"Red arrow!" he and Charlotte cried in union. All of the blood from the hellish battlefield drew close, adding to the arrow as it pierced through the air, growing and growing until it pierced clean through Alexa's stomach. The goddess screamed and fell to her knees on Bahamut's neck, trying to stop the bleeding.

"Oh, we're not done!" Charlotte snarled. Alexa looked up weakly, eyes growing when she saw arrows pointing at them from every possible direction, all with that beautiful shade of red. Alexa's eyes grew.

"No…no no no, what is this?!" she snapped, rubbing her hands together. She gasped when she found the blood on her own hands had hardened, making it impossible for her to summon her glitter. She looked back at Charlotte, opening her mouth to snarl something when suddenly the blonde brought her hand down and every single arrow came flying at them from all directions, piercing through her and Bahamut. The dragon roared as Alexa fell unconscious on his back, weakened and dying fast.

"Adrian, now!" Tyler barked.

One of the arrows that was in Bahamut's wing wiggled, shining silver before Adrian emerged from the light. He wobbled over to her, Charlotte's cleaver in-hand. He raised it up with both hands and went to bring it down on her neck to end it once and for all.

He made it a breath's away from her neck before Bahamut slapped him away violently.

"You three nothing but trouble! Bahamut send you back where you came!" The onyx dragon growled. The three weaken members snarled back. "No you don't!" Charlotte used her nails to cut through her stomach, the deep gash bleeding profusely as she summoned one last arrow. Adrian coughed, using the small traces of iron in her blood to harden the arrow, giving it to Tyler. The god drew it back as far as he could, hand trembling weakly. Both of his teammates grabbed onto the bow, steadying him, and one last time, shot the shining Red Arrow to the beast.

This one went through the center of its chest, making it collapse, coughing and wheezing. Alexa's limp body fell off and rolled to the side. The arena grounds fell silent, save the sound of the crackling fire that engulfed the area around them and all three Wyatt members collapsed to the ground, unable to move any longer, the adrenaline having run empty.

The arena began to crumble, dark corridors opening every which way, violently sucking everyone into them like black holes. The audience screamed as they were sucked up and Charlotte hissed. "No…no no _no_ , we can't let her get away!" she hissed. Adrian groaned, blood running down his lips. "With all due respect Cap'n, I don't think any of us can move anymore" he coughed. She growled, trying to lift her hand, but a sharp, scorching pain ran through her body. She cried out and dropped it immediately. Watching Summer rise to her feet, wobbling closer to Alexa and Bahamut. She glared at the three before opening a corridor right below the dragon and goddess, making them fall in before she herself leaped in.

"Tata~" she cooed before it closed.

Charlotte cursed, grabbing onto an unconscious Tyler and a fading Adrian, closing her eyes and hoping the last of her energy was enough to get them out safely.

_'Bloody Mary!'_

She coughed weakly, hearing herself being summoned. She held onto her teammates tighter as blood ran into her eyes.

_'Bloody Mary!'_

"We're going home, boys" she whispered as she felt both the pull of the mirror and unconsciousness wash over her.

_**"Bloody Mary!"** _

(WM)

Bayley sobbed and nearly lunged on Charlotte, Adrian, and Tyler when she successfully summoned them back, tossing the mirror aside. Sami had to hold her back before she did, however. "Bayl, you can't. They're seriously injured." He told her firmly. She frowned and grabbed his arm tighter, burying her face in his chest and sobbing.

"Stop your crying! They are breathing" Lana scolded. She looked over to the bloodied and burnt forms of her comrades and sighed. "Though, it will take over a month to fully heal even them. Their wounds are much too severe" she breathed. Bayley wailed and Bray came behind her, eyes hollow as he stared down at them. The rest of the members watched on with bated breath as he knelt down to them.

"Rest." He whispered before nodding to Erick and Luke as he picked up Charlotte. Erick picked up Tyler while Luke picked up Adrian. "We will heal them back to health. There are no missions for you all. I'm in a celebratory mood" Bray chuckled, looking down at the blonde Captain of the Delta team. He nodded, slightly put off that he didn't get to kill Alexa himself, but this would do just fine.

"Celebrate. Because there's no way that dirty wretch could have survived that"

*Ninth Circle*

Summer stared blankly at the ice casing that Alexa was in, still covered in all of her wounds. Bahamut had reverted back to his fish egg form, resting and healing slowly. From behind him, Show snatched an arrow out of his shoulder, snarling in pain before he glared at the encased goddess.

"Can someone tell us why we're healing that lunatic? She's unconscious! We can kill her right now!" he barked. Antonio growled in agreement and Summer summoned her marionette. "You do have a point. I've gotten nearly killed more times than I ever did with Daddy and he was the one that always tried to kill me!" She snapped.

"Say, do you think these three will go directly outside to the lake of ice if we kill them now?" A woman's voice cooed from behind. The three turned, finding a group of individuals behind them.

"Do you think they'll go to Caina?"

"Maybe Antenora."

"No, I think they're going to Ptolomaea."

A brunette strode forward, and the woman lightly tapped his stomach. "What do you think, Finn?" she inquired. He rolled his neck, summoning a staff. He twisted at the base, three blades snapping out of the carved top, making it look like a trident.

"Dunno. Let's see if I can send them right down to Judecca"

A cool gust of wind blew over all of the ninth ring, the lake at the center still and quiet. It pulsed slightly, three new bodies being added to the limitless count. It trapped their souls, covering them over with the demonic ice. They would never move again.

This is the way of the ninth ring of hell. Where traitors lie encased, for all of eternity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Team of the Chapter:
> 
> Delta Team
> 
> Eros
> 
> Eros is the Greek god of Love. In most depictions, he is the Son of the goddess of love, Aphrodite and the god of war, Ares. Other depictions say he is a primordial god, the child of Chaos. Poets have described him as a blindfolded male who, with his bow and arrow, could make any human being fall in love with the next person they were to see after being struck.
> 
> However, Eros also had lead arrows that would do the opposite of his more popular arrows, making the being struck feel extreme loathing towards the first person they saw after the hit.
> 
> His Roman counterpart is Cupid.
> 
> **Ilmarinen**
> 
> In Finnish mythology, Seppo Ilmarinen is the Eternal Hammerer. He is an immortal blacksmith god, capable of creating practically anything, often described and depicted working with various metals such as iron, silver, copper, brass, and even gold.
> 
> **Bloody Mary & Bakasura**
> 
> Bloody Mary is a popular urban legend inspired by Queen Mary I, who was given the name because of the amount of executions of Protestants.
> 
> The apparition Bloody Mary is said to appear after a ritual is done. The lights within a room (often a bathroom) must be off, with only dim candlelight being the source of light. The faucet on, and the chanter may 'reach out' to Mary, touching the mirror. Mary is said to appear after chanting her name several times, the most common number of times being 3 or 13 times.
> 
> -Bakasura
> 
> In Hindu culture, Bakasura is a horrifying demon that has committed countless atrocities. He has an appetite for human flesh. In a certain tale, Bakasura lived outside of a small village, eating anyone who passed by him in the woods. The Chief of the village made a deal with the demon. If he were to stop eating people who passed by, they would send a cart of food to him every day. He agreed, eating not only whatever food was on the cart, but the person delivering the food.
> 
> This trend continued until Bhima confronted the demon, eating the food intended for him right before his very eyes. Enraged, Bakasura threatened to eat the man, much to his amusement. They fought all day until Bakasura was killed
> 
> Members of the Team:
> 
> Tyler Breeze (Eros)
> 
> Adrian Neville (Ilmarinen)
> 
> Charlotte Flair (Bloody Mary & Bakasura)****


	31. Chapter 31

Bayley frowned as she walked past Adrian's workshop, smelling the scent of various metals that had long since embedded itself into the room's walls. She stepped inside, sniffling quietly. Usually it would be loud with the clang of Adrian making yet another weapon, either for them, or for his own collection. He could easily just create any weapon as long as he had the tiniest form of raw material in his hands, but she liked how he decided to do it the old fashioned way. It only showed how dedicated he was to the creation of his weapons. There was no clang today, no bickering between Adrian and Tyler, no motherly intervention from Charlotte;

No playful giggle from Alexa.

Everything was still, and it left the room oddly quiet, unwelcome.

She stood there for a good minute or two before Sami walked up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder, squeezing lightly. "They're not dead, you know" he started, gently pulling her away from the copper-laced room. "They lived. They're just out for the time being."he told her quietly. She smiled sorrowfully and nodded, walking away with him.

They walked to the common room, finding Jeff seated on the window ledge, staring out while Adam was on the floor beside it, leaning against the wall with one of his long legs bent up and pressed against his chest while the other was extended outwards. He sucked idly on a strawberry lollipop while Jeff remained nearly motionless, even when Bayley and Sami approached them.

"Are you okay?" she questioned, frowning at the back of Jeff's head. His hair colors were fading and one could tell he hadn't shaved in days, his usually so well-kept beard looking a little more wild than she'd ever seen it. He didn't move or respond for a moment, and then he exhaled ever so slightly.

"I just...really need to punch something" he mumbled. Adam hummed in agreement from the floor, green eyes staring at the opposing wall before he let out a small breath.

"I say we go out on the next mission. Gives us all a chance to let loose and-"

"Ask and you shall recieve, Rose" A feminine voice called, cutting them off.

All eyes turned as Lana walked up to them, heels clicking against the tile while Rusev followed behind her, his face betraying no emotion other than that edge of anger he always had. "Lord Bray is looking for the one they call 'Bischoff'. He is the one we originally were after when we found out about the mutant hybrids before Alexa betrayed us. Now that she's out of the way, we turn our focus to him. You two are to remain on alert, as we may go on a mission at a moment's notice." she stated, a certain sense of finality to her voice. Adam's teeth sunk into the candy resting on the inside of his cheek, the crack echoing in the room while Jeff growled, standing up.

"We're more than ready for a fight."

Her lips curled up before she turned and walked away, Rusev in tow.

(HD)

Abigail hummed, standing in the yard teaching some of the Divas yoga techniques she used to loosen up before any type of battle. She greatly appreciated how none of them brought up the fact that she was dead and therefore didn't _really_ need to loosen up anything since she could not get injured. It was something to pass the time as all the Dominants spoke over their next moves. Seth was across the field, practicing battle techniques with Evan, Justin, and Aksana.

There was a certain tension in the air from Aksana and Seth, the two throwing hard hit after hit at one another. Justin and Evan remained a bit more mellowed out, continuously throwing glances at the other two.

It was no secret why the cat and serpent were so irate. Aksana was still swept up in the loss of Renee, as she had spent most of the recent days either swallowed up in anger or swallowed up in sorrow. Natalya had snapped her out of it a few times, bringing her up into the warm, comforting feathers of Gale and letting her rest there for as long as needed. It usually lasted only a few hours, however, before Aksana would resume stalking around the manor with Faust wrapped around her neck or shoulders, hissing continuously until she settled down again.

Seth's predicament was his constant state of guilt,anger, and the struggle he was having with staying in line. With Abigail around, he was constantly reminded of the past, and the strong feeling of _"I let her die"_ would come over him, making him bristle and tense with anger. He had pressure coming at him from all sides, with some Dominants looking at him like he'd turn on them at any moment and thinking he didn't notice their stares. Or even the fact that when Alexa was trying to kill Delta Team, he wanted to do nothing more but rush in and help them, help his teammates. He was a part of a team he couldn't even remember two months ago and it made him feel like a sellout for not fighting beside them for so long, when clearly they've been looking up to him and willing to _die_ fighting for his name. On top of that, he had to constantly remind himself to stay in his place. Plenty of times, he was eager to just run off and handle things on his own, when he would suddenly feel the weight and gravity of his collar. He was a submissive, and running off to "do his own thing" would just result in conflict between him, Roman, and Dean, and get him in trouble.

This was...a lot harder than expected.

Seth often wondered if he was supposed to be a Submissive at all.

So now they fought, Aksana blinded by a sudden burst of rage and angst while Seth was slowly being consumed by his frustrations. There was a chill of ice and a violent vibration of electricity pulsing through the air, only growing stronger and stronger, drawing the attention of the Divas and Abigail. Kaitlyn frowned, pulling JoJo behind her instinctively while they all watched on, the rabbit squeezing her shirt.

"Should...should we intervene?" Naomi inquired, watching (and cringing) when Aksana's whip cracked hard across Seth's back before she struck again, the chilled thorns grazing his neck as it wrapped around it. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed him high into the air, springing after him with a scream. He twisted in mid-air, using the weight from his retracted scythe to giue him the momentum necessary to face her again, shifting it back to its riffle state and firing a super-charged shot at her, lips curled back in a snarl. She held her hand out to counter, but lightning strikes much faster than ice can protect, and it slammed full-speed into her, sending her crashing to the ground. It created a deep crater, and she struggled to get up, her stomach bleeding and bruised.

From the sides, Faust writhed in protest, one of his heads badly damaged, but not completely torn off. The other seven covered the damaged one, a small peridot light fluttering over him before they moved away, his head fully healed.

Aksana-now that her stomach had healed-ducked out of the way as Seth came barrelling down on where her body was. He panted, eyes and hair wild, ears standing perked atop his head, tail curled up aggressively as he stared at her. He was worse for the wear, of course, since he wasn't a self-healer. His back and chest were bloody and bruised from several whip cracks from Aksana, a dark, blooming bruise on his cheek as he stood back to his full height, licking his bloodied lip and spitting out what he had gathered on his tongue, slamming his rifle into the ground as he cracked his gloved fists. Aksana took the sign for what it was and dropped her whip, rolling her shoulders before beckoning him forward with a single crook of her finger. He let out a tut, arid and stiff before he bolted forward.

He threw a kick, she threw a punch.

"That's enough"

Both of them were brought to an abrupt halt when Abigail caught his foot and her wrist, appearing in that beautiful, yet chilling black and white shimmering haze. She held them firm, all three of them staying perfectly still as she did so. She glanced from Seth to Aksana before slowly loosening her grip enough for them to free themselves of her grasp. Seth slowly lowered his foot and Aksana uncurled her fist, letting her hand fall limp by her side.

"You two are volatile. You must not take it out on each other, before one of you gets seriously hurt-"

"Just say she'll kill me" Seth hissed, fists clenching. The group behind them tensed up. Seth _never_ got hostile with Abigail. They exchanged looks before Abigail simply tilted her head, seemingly unaffected.

"She'll kill you. She'll kill you and its possible you won't be able to come back. Souls that are dead usually do not end up happy when they are brought back, Seth." she said, her voice like ice, prickling at all of their spines. Even Aksana shivered, looking away guiltily at the thought of bringing Renee back, only for her to be even more hostile and unwelcoming towards her than before.

Seth deflated a little, looking her in her blank sockets. Eyes were the window to the soul, but Seth wasn't sure what that meant for Abigail, who was nothing but a reanimated soul with no eyes. The irony wasn't lost on his part. He sighed and looked down.

"You're not happy" he muttered idly. Abigail hummed, smoothing out the ends of her dress idly.

"My brothers are borderline insane, they run an organization of vengeful souls that are taking out people in a systematic genocide-and yes, I do know they deserve it, trust me, I kinda died by their hands-which makes them look like a group of psychotic villains-one of them was an actual psychotic villain that took possession of my soul and brought me back from the dead as this, my best friend has had to go through unspeakable horrors while his memory was wiped, and now we have to deal with an army of mutated hybrids rampaging through the country like its a circus act. I don't think " _happy_ " is the first thing that comes to mind" she muttered. The air around them seemed to weigh them all down a bit, the sky darkening slightly while Brim and Luna looked up from where they were napping a few yards away, ears raising and falling curiously as they seemed to try and tune in something involving Abigail.

"But this is a bigger picture. This is far bigger than you or I right now and we need to collectively work as a team before we lose more people we hold dear. To death, or madness. I ask that you stop your...sparring right now. It seems we have a mission." She hummed, looking up as Michelle approached them, tsking quietly and shaking her head when she saw their bloodied state.

"What have you two been doing out here? You look like someone tried to run you through a meat grinder" she hummed, shaking her head as she looked over the two with concern shining in her eye.

"We've been training" they both responded, almost robotically. She clicked her tongue and shook her head. "Hunter wants everyone to report to the briefing room. We found another cargo ship of hybrid slaves. He's going to dispatch a couple teams to intercept them." She told them. Everyone exchanged a look before steeling themselves and nodding, heading towards the mansion.

(Briefing Room)

Seth groaned in mild pain as Roman healed his wounds, listening diligently to Hunter as he spoke.

"We're heading to Louisiana. Biscoff is trying to transfer more lab rat hybrids to some unknown facility and we have to intercept them before they can do it. There are lives at stake here. I want you all to hit them fast and hit them **hard.** Don't let them get away with those hybrids, do you understand?" He inquired, eyes scanning the table. Everyone nodded once, dead serious, and Hunter rolled out a map.

"They've been taking hybrids from Louisiana and the last we heard, they were prepping for transfer over the Causeway Bridge. It's the longest bridge in the country. Gives you more time to get the mission done, but also ups the risk of you guys injuring the other drivers. If you could...not, I'd appreciate it greatly" Hunter sent them a look before pulling out a marker, circling a few areas on the map.

"I need four teams. One at each opening, hopefully we can intercept before they get on the damn bridge or have a last ditch team for if they are about to get off, but if not, we need two teams coming from either direction, trying to actively stop the shipments. Don't let them get away" He growled. No one responded, but the fire in their eyes was more than enough. With a nod, he pointed to one end of the bridge.

"John, Randy, Evan, Drew, and Sheamus will be stationed at the Mandeville entrance. They're hiding in that town somewhere. You all are our first line of attack. On the other side here, 24 miles away, is the Metairie entrance, where Matt, Shannon, Wade, and Heath will be placed. If they somehow make it through the other three teams, you do **everything** in your power to stop them, do you understand?" Hunter spoke slowly and they exchanged a look before nodding.

"Now, Seth, Dean, Natalya, and Abigail will be the second line after the Mandeville team. Roman, Aksana, Justin, and AJ will be the second. You two have the most important roles in this operation. You need to stop them before they can even get anywhere near the Metairie team and make sure that they don't get desperate and try to take out the other civilian drivers on the bridge. Are we all clear where we're at and what we're supposed to be doing?"

His answer was a series of knuckles cracking and growls and Hunter nodded slowly.

"Good. Glad we're clear. Don't die"

(WM)

Jeff was startled when Bayley suddenly burst into his and Adam's shared room, panting loudly. "You...you need to get out to the foyer now! There's a mission" She huffed, taking a gulp of air before standing straight. He nodded and grabbed Adam's strawberry pendant, following her out and into the foyer where some of the teams were already assembled, with Bray pacing back and forth between them.

"We found them. We've got our chance at redemption. Bischoff has shown himself and we've anticipated his movements. He's trapped himself. Find and liberate our brethren and let nothing stop you" he ordered, walking over to Adam, Paige, and then Luke and Eric.

"I'm sending both Alphas and Beta Team. Go" he grunted. The teams nodded and he opened a dark corridor. "Call me if there's any...interesting developments" He growled and everyone knew he meant Abigail. They nodded and stepped through the portal,

The foyer went deathly still after that.

(Mandeville, Louisiana)

Randy hummed as he stood against the Hummer his group was given for the mission. He tapped his fingers in agitation against his tattooed bicep, scanning the road carefully. There had been plenty of vans that passed them, but none of them big enough to transfer the amount of hybrids needed for...whatever the hell Bischoff was doing. It put the Viper on edge because he couldn't predict what was going to happen and that didn't sit well with him. John was perched on the hood of the car, chewing lazily on a granola bar while his body remained rigid, blue eyes narrowed at the vehicles coming in their direction. Evan tapped his bo staff on the concrete, tail jerking from left to right occasionally as his ears remained perked on his head. Sheamus was fiddling with a rock, lifting it up and down with his powers while Drew yawned loudly, his broadsword secured on his back.

Randy growled in agitation suddenly.

"Where the hell are they?" He hissed, pushing himself off the car as he started pacing around. The group watched him carefully. "Hunter didn't give us a time frame to expect them to pass. We have no way of knowing when they'll-" John suddenly stopped Evan, power surging around him. Everyone was suddenly on high alert as they followed his gaze, seeing four armored trucks speeding in their direction. It smelt strongly of copper and salt.

Blood and tears.

Sheamus darted forward first, stomping hard and raising a platform from the ground, sending the truck flying over his head. John ran forward, hands gripping either side of the bumper. The driver cried out in surprise and looked down, snarling when they saw the group. Drew ran up John's back and screamed, slashing down with his broadsword onto the windshield. The glass didn't even crack and the driver floored it, the tires screeching angrily against the asphalt, pushing John back.. He groaned, veins popping and muscles straining. "I c-can't hold it much longer! Do something!" He cried, feet digging into the ground. Sheamus snarled and hefted up a chunk of the ground while Randy inhaled deeply, preparing to spit his most potent acidic venom at the truck.

Only Evan saw the other trucks weren't slowing down.

"M-Master!" He cried, trying to desperately stop the three oncoming trucks. He slammed the end of his bo staff into the ground, sending shockwaves through the concrete, but it only made the other trucks swerve out of control for a moment, with one slamming full speed into the one John was trying to hold back and the other whipping violently into Sheamus, sending the chunk of earth flying into Randy. He hissed loudly and dropped, while both John and Sheamus were thrown a few feet from the force of their respective impacts, making incapacitating them.

"O'Shea!" Drew cried, dropping to his knees beside Sheamus' body. Evan whined and gently touched John's bloody cheek, tail tightly curled around his waist as he watched the four trucks make their way through the first toll, entering the bridge.. Slowly, he raised his wrist to his lips, speaking into the com/watch that Hunter had given them all.

"They...got past the first team." he muttered dejectedly, frowning even deeply when he saw Randy trying to drag himself up.

(1 mile in, above bridge)

Seth revved his engine as the latch to the cargo helicopter Shawn was flying opened up, the wind whipping his hair violently. Abigail clung to his waist while Natalya and Dean sat perched on Gale, jaws set.

"So...tell me again where we got the money for a _helicopter_ from?" Seth inquired. The whole thing swerved and Shawn glanced back, nodding in their direction.

"I'll tell you if you complete the mission. Don't fuck this up. Go"

Seth grumbled under his breath and took off, flying clean off of the helicopter while Gale cawed loudly, diving off soon after. Abigail loosened her grip as they dropped, turning around while Seth focused on finding a place to land the motorcycle. She saw two of the four vans behind where they would land while the other two were ahead.

"Go. Just be careful" Seth muttered, gloves squeaking slightly from his tight grip on the handlebars. She nodded and stood, jumping right off, summoning her axe and slamming it full force down onto the top of the truck, grinding her teeth at the painful shock wave it sent up her arms. It did what it was supposed to and there was a gash in the top where her blade made contact.

Unfortunately, it was stuck.

She gasped as the truck swerved erratically before tossing her clean off, sending her into oncoming traffic. She whined, dazed when she was hit by an SUV.

Seth cursed and pulled out one of his pistols, speeding up until he was lined up with one of the trucks, aiming for the driver's head as he pulled the trigger, firing flame shots at the glass relentlessly. The driver growled from the inside, sending him a look before they pulled over abruptly, intending to slam into his side. Seth swerved to the left and growled, letting go of both handlebars so he could change the clip. It was enough time for the other van to come up on his other side, both of them closing in rapidly.

Seth noticed this and considered drawing his scythe out, but Natalya swooped down with Gale, the phoenix lifting one of the trucks clean up and flapping angrily. "Seth, move!" Dean barked and Seth only had a moment's notice to jump up and abandon his motorcycle as Gale threw the truck he was holding into the other truck, the one closer to Seth. He rolled, just barely missing getting hit by a car as he looked back, walking towards the two vans, pulling his scythe off of his back. Dean jumped off of Gale's back, gauntlets flaming as he punched through the roof of one of the trucks. He snatched his hand free and then grabbed both ends with his flaming fists, pulling each end apart to open the back. Seth slashed at the other truck until it opened, yelping in surprise when a mutated hybrid sprung out, tackling him to the floor.

He rolled with it, trying not to get hit before he kicked it off completely, sending it flying right into Abigail's axe strike. She pulled her axe from the center of its forehead and shook her head. "I think they're decoys. It could be any one of these trucks, now" she panted, leaping out of the way when three more struck out running at her from the one Seth cut open. Natalya grabbed hold of Dean's wrist with her whip, pulling him up when a few burst out from the one he had cracked open.

" _What?!_ " Hunter's bark echoed through all their coms.

"We just have make _sure_ nothing big leaves this bridge before we can stop it. You may want to send backup, though" Nataya hissed as she choked one out with her whip before looking ahead at the other two vans that were at least a mile ahead of them now.

"Roman, you and your team should move now. We need to take them out now before they even get anywhere close to Wade's team." Natalya advised, picking Seth up as well and taking off while Abigail followed, jumping from car roof to roof to catch up, her footsteps light and graceful.

Roman clicked his tongue and nodded, howling so he transformed into his Cerberus form. Aksana, Justin, and AJ settled on Faust's back, each holding onto a head as the snake hissed and sped down the center of the road.

Then the dark corridor opened.

Roman skidded to a halt as the Wyatt members stepped out of the corridor, snarling lowly, paws spread and stance aggressive. Corey and Paige glanced his way before turning in the opposite direction.

"It doesn't smell like they got here yet. Close them in, make sure they can't leave. Shut it down." Paige growled. Luke and Erick exchanged a look before the latter grinned wide and Luke nodded.

"Yeah...yeah" he grumbled, eyes wide. Roman barked and drew their attention, ice spreading out from his paws.

"I'm not gonna let you run rampant and fuck this mission up for us. Get out of the way" he growled. Corey cocked a brow and chuckled. "You really don't wanna do this right now." he warned, tone threatening as he cracked his knuckles. Roman was about to snap when Abigail's voice came crackling in from the com.

_'Get over here! We need backup-Dean, watch out!'_

Bo tensed before he growled, fingers turning blue. He turned and rushed down the road, weaving through the traffic effortlessly. Lana hummed and hopped off of Rusev's shoulders, wings spreading as she took off after Bo. Eventually they all took off running, with the Authority racing against the Wyatts.

Meanwhile, Seth was clinging on for dear life as a tractor trailer swerved violently. He could hear the bodies thumping around inside and he knew this was one of the ones they were looking for. He was reaching for the top when a primeape-like mutant slammed into the side, swatting at him. He growled and drew his pistol, shooting it in the side before he swung himself up onto the roof, trying to keep his footing.

The injured beast crawled up, seeing red as it took off running towards him, snorting in anger. Seth braced himself, dodging the first swipe and kicking it in the center of the chest. He kept that dodge-hit approach, but eventually miscalculated and took a hard club to the stomach. He coughed weakly and rolled dangerously to the edge, holding his midsection as the beast came closer. He growled, trying to push himself off quickly, but the ape let out a sound of pain and fell in front of him, with Dean right behind it, growling in annoyance as he shook his fist out. He nodded in his direction and Seth pulled his scythe out, slashing the roof to the trailer open. Dean pulled the sides apart, sighing in relief when he saw the terrified-but uninjured-hybrids staring up at him.

"Nattie! This is one!" he called. Nattie turned with Gale, flying back to them and landing atop the trailer. "Go help Abby find the others. I'll take these guys back to the helicopter." She told them, smiling softly at some of the still-terrified hybrids to calm some of them down.. The two felines nodded and took off once more, unknowing of their...added company from the Wyatts.

The four teams were closing in quickly at the center of the bridge, where there would no doubt be an explosion of violence.

On the way there, AJ sniffed, pulling on one of Faust's heads. "There!" she hissed, seeing a red trailer home going exceptionally fast. "Keep going, I got this one" she grunted, standing and disappearing in a gust of wind. She appeared on the top just as Paige hopped onto the roof, one dark brow cocked up.

"I got it, weasel. Just-"

AJ completely ignored her, slamming her sickle down onto the top of roof where the driver was. She was only an inch or two away from impaling him in the skull. The home swerved violently and Paige would've been thrown off if she hadn't frozen her feet to the roof using her ice. Her body did jerk in one direction and she looked at her with wide eyes.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! Are you crazy?!" Paige barked. AJ's body went rigid and she growled, summoning her other two sickles, two for her hands and one she tossed up to hold between her jaws. Her eyes narrowed to slits and she growled.

"I'm not _crazy!_ " She screamed, disappearing for a second before she kicked Paige clean out of the ice, slashing at her midsection. The ice shattered and she rolled away, blood smearing on the roof of the car before she snarled, kipping up so she was back on her feet. she rolled her neck and growled, shifting her foot, the greaves on her leg clicking slightly. AJ glanced down, seeing the bullets on the back of them. She shrugged it off, disappearing again, rage fueling her.

She went to attack again, but Paige stomped down and brought up a wall of ice before leaping over it, mule kicking AJ through the wall. The weasel stumbled for a moment, quickly recovering, only to look up and see Paige had gotten in front of her, roundhousing her.

She heard a shell hit the floor.

AJ screamed in pain and flew back, almost completely off the trailer. She coughed and held her rapidly bruising stomach, looking up to see Paige glaring at her, teeth bared and leg still up, the greave on that particular leg smoking.

Huh. So _that's_ what the bullets were for.

The bullets on the back of the greaves were there to magnify the power of Paige's kicks.

AJ growled and rolled to her feet, hands and teeth tightening around her sickles. Paige grinned wide, bouncing back and balling her fists, stance ready. AJ ran at her and threw one sickle at her fist, pulling it to get her off balance. Paige yanked her arm back and got her off balance, punching her in the chest before she threw her arm back, sending the wind weasel flying. AJ screamed in frustration and coughed, looking up at Paige.

"You're not going to beat a war goddess. You ever heard of Savate? That's my fighting style, weasel. You're not beating me" she hummed, putting her hands on her hips. AJ bristled and disappeared. Paige sighed and shifted her foot on the rooftop, raising some ice crystals into the air. She was going to have to weed AJ out if she was gonna hide-

She felt a cut and her arm began throbbing. The pale goddess gasped as more cuts appeared on her body and her lip curled up when she noticed AJ was moving too fast for her to properly freeze her in place. She slammed the heel of her foot onto the rooftop and raised an ice cocoon, shrouding herself and stopping AJ in her tracks. She rubbed her jaw and punched through it before growling, body bleeding and eyes blazing.

"Alright. _Now_ I'm mad." she growled. AJ smirked in response and crooked her finger in a 'come hither' motion. Paige screamed and ran full speed at her.

AJ and Paige weren't the only ones that started fighting. Roman spotted Corey and tackled him to the asphalt, both of them rolling by a few cars before the Samoan reverted back, standing to his full height with dark lupine ears on top of his head. His eyes were glowing an electric shade of blue, ice knives forming in his hand as he growled, staring at Corey.

"We're taking them in for questioning. I'm not letting you get in my way." he growled. Corey cocked a brow before chuckling. "Something tells me this has nothing to do with the mission." he hummed, cracking his knuckles before holding them out in front of him, magma coating his hands. "Magma vs ice, big guy. You're a little outmatched here" he teased. Roman snarled in response and Corey shrugged before grinning darkly.

"Let's go then, ya big pup. Show me your teeth!"

Abigail stiffened, looking up when she saw Lana fly over her head. Her eyes widened and she shook her head. "No..no no, why are they here?!" she gasped, looking around. She barely had the time to contemplate it before a Stein-worthy mutant came barreling towards her. She growled and brought her hands up, a sparkling two toned mist shooting up, accompanied by a series of ghoulish screams from the ghosts she summoned. They flew around and attacked it from all sides, biting and leeching on its blood from several spots. She threw her onyx-colored hand forward, squeezing its neck until she heard a crack before tossing it away, shaking her head.

"We need to get this done before something catastrophic happens-"

She trailed off when she looked up and saw Bo standing a few feet from her. He was panting, brows drawn up. She stared at him, and she idly thought her heart would've skipped a beat, y'know, if it were beating in the first place.

"Abby..?" he trailed off, taking a step closer. She smiled softly.

"Y-Yeah...It's me. In the-err...not so living flesh-oof!" she gasped when the man came running full speed at her, colliding with her as he crushed her with a bear hug. She hugged back, smiling softly. "You're really here…" He trailed off and Abby was sure she heard the slightest of sniffles. She gently patted the top of her brother's head. "I am. I need you to get the Wyatts to work with us. We need to stop them together and we can't stop them if we're fighting." She told him calmly. He nodded and reluctantly let her go. "I will. Stay here, I'll run and tell them to focus their attention on the mission" he said firmly, turning and jogging away.

He made three long strides before he heard a crash.

Bo froze, turning slowly, looking over his shoulder, eyes widening in horror when he saw Abigail crushed between a truck and a divider. She whimpered, coughing up mix-matched spots of blood. Time seemed to slow down for him as he stared, seeing not the two toned woman he embraced a moment ago, but instead, the complete, natural-fleshed face of his sister the way she looked before she died. He heard nothing but his own manic heartbeat in his ears and his lip curled up, water swirling around his hand as his mind tricked him when Abby looked his way, staring back into brown eyes that in real life, were no longer there.

And then _he_ got struck by a mutant, one that tossed him clean off the bridge.

Abby screamed as she watched her brother fly off, plummeting to the lake below. "Bo!" she shrieked, summoning a few hellhounds to pull the truck off of her. She stood weakly, limping over to the edge.

That's when there was a tremble and a giant, serpentine body came flying over her-and the whole bridge's-head. She stumbled, gallons of water splashing down onto them all. Bo roared in rage, rising from the water with piercing, unfocused eyes on the bridge. Abby frowned. "Bo...Bo calm down!" she cried. The dragon didn't even hear her, slamming his claws through the truck that hit Abby, tossing it up and violently slamming his tree-sized fangs down on it, crushing it in half before he swallowed both sides, turning his gaze to the rest of the bridge. He became unable to distinguish friend from foe and began firing off high-powered blasts of water at the bridge, leaning up so the front of his massive body was blocking the road.

 _'Aksana, go neutralize him before he destroys the whole damn bridge!'_ Hunter snapped into the coms.

Aksana sighed and nodded at Justin, letting him hop off of Faust's back before she and the giant snake leapt off the bridge, creating an ice slide and racing down a few miles to get to Bo. She couldn't even see land in either direction because of how far out they were.

"Okay Faust. Cool em down." She ordered. The snake hissed in response, all eight heads rearing back before shooting forward, wrapping around Bo's midsection and tossing him violently off the bridge completely and into the water. Bo made a giant splash and Faust froze the ice, layering on the ice thick so he wouldn't be able to get out. Aksana hummed, nodding in approval. "That should do for now." She mused. Bo's growl was loud enough to permeate the ice and Aksana rolled her eyes, bracing herself on Faust's head as the ice shattered, flying every which way, some even landing on the bridge. Aksana ignored that, eyes narrowed as Faust slammed one head into the lake, creating a massive splash. She froze it and used the seven remaining heads to throw it Bo's way. He took the hit directly to his maw, body shifting back before he clamped his teeth down on it, biting it and shattering it like glass.

Aksana's lips curled up, a small hum of approval leaving her lips as she summoned her whip. "Very well. Let's see what you got for me, big brother" She cooed humorlessly.

Seth looked around, seeing Wyatt and Authority members fighting each other, fires spread throughout the bridge from the car crashes, dead mutants lying scattered about, crying, terrified civilians who had stopped either to watch or because they were too terrified to get caught in the crossfire of a battle that none of them were even aware would be happening. His tail drooped and his ears flattened against his head, grip so loose on his scythe's handle that it slammed against the ground, the blade embedding itself in the concrete.

Abigail slowly walked to her side, looking around with him, sighing softly. "I do not know when it will end. There is still much to do" She muttered. Seth looked down at his feet, not responding. She glanced at him before shaking her head. There was way too much to do and no way to evacuate all the innocents out of the way-

"Wait! I need you to bring Alicia!" She said excitedly, touching her com.

 _'Alicia? Why do you need Alicia?'_ Hunter inquired, looking over at the fox as he sat in the briefing room. "I actually may have a plan. Just get her here" She ordered before she squeezed Seth's arm before she summoned two hellhounds. They bowed down and both the two toned adults clambered up onto their backs, holding on as they took off.

"What exactly is your plan?" He inquired, frowning as they ran past Paige and AJ jumping from car rooftop to rooftop, looking every bit ready to kill one another. Abigail beamed proudly. "I'm gonna need Adam and the Ascension boys. Who better to save people than a fox that can create physical illusions, an undead wizard, and two members of the Illuminati that can disappear into shadows at will?" She questioned rhetorically, seemingly pleased with herself. Seth blinked slowly before he nodded.

"I...guess?"

"Shut up and follow my lead, we don't have the time to think of anything else."

They stopped when they reached Adam and Jeff, both of them gently escorting hybrids through a dark corridor with Bayley and Emma on the other side. They looked up only after getting to the last one and the corridor closed.

"Abigail, Seth, you both look a little sour" Adam hummed. Seth's eye twitch slightly, tail and ears high. He wasn't sure if Adam was being a smartass yet. Abigail didn't even respond do it, crooking her finger. Curiously, the two came closer to the eyeless girl.

"I need you to help me get the innocent people off of the bridge. I know you Wyatts have your own agenda when it comes to the tension and inequality of Hybrids and Humans, but I need you to put that aside for an hour or two to help us finish the mission. We need to free the hybrids and take in or kill the mutated ones and take the humans in for questioning. Can I rely on you to help me?" She inquired softly. Adam shifted the strawberry lollipop in his mouth.

"It's not every day I get a request from a phantom goddess-princess. Of course I will help. Do you need anyone other than me?" He inquired. She nodded. "Anyone who isn't fighting my people or the hybrids. Especially the Ascension."

Adam nodded and picked his strawberry pendant up, squeezing it tight in his palm. The pendant shined a brilliant color before Abby felt a chill. Several spirits-Rosebuds-came out of the pendant, all looking expectantly at the Lich.

"Go get the Ascension boys. Find any Wyatt that isn't fighting and tell them to help us." he ordered. The ghouls nodded and flew off in several directions. Seth shifted as he waited, not even noticing Jeff had came to his side.

"I haven't been able to apologize" the rainbow-haired man started. Seth looked at him, clearly confused. "Why would you need to apologize to me?" He inquired. Jeff scratched his arm.

"When I first left...I snapped at you and left you to get your shit kicked in" He muttered. Seth shivered at the memory, remembering the pain of Paige breaking his leg. "It's...it's alright. We all have our dark times and I can't get mad at you for wanting to leave. I would to" He hummed, looking around to make sure they weren't letting any suspicious vehicles get by while they were prepping. Jeff stared at him for a bit, at a loss for words.

"We're all ready. Let's do this" Abigail said suddenly, drawing their attention. The rest of Beta Team-save a still raging Bo-were assembled behind Adam, along with a few Rosebuds.

"We're gonna do this strategically. Ignore the others for right now, we need to get this done. First off-" Abigail touched her ear. "Randy, Wade, both of you have the exits blocked on your respective ends, right? It'll be harder to evacuate if there is a flow of people coming and going."

_'Honk at me one more time and I'll fucking melt the hood of your car **right** off'_

_'We've got it blocked. Good luck, bird'_

Abigail smiled softly at Randy and Wade's respective responses, looking up as the copter with Alicia flew overhead. She stuck her head out, waving before leaping down, landing delicately on the roof of a car Adam had overturned previously.

"Alright. What do you need?" She inquired, tilting her head. Abigail grinned wide.

"I need you to create a huge illusion on the side of the bridge where Bo and Aksana are not trying to skin each other. We'll go around and load it with civilians so they don't get injured or killed in the crossfire. Can you do that?" She inquired. Alicia nodded eagerly and closed her eyes, all nine of her tails swaying in a hypnotizing manner.

She opened them after a minute, grinning proudly as a huge tortoise stood in the river, staring lazily at them all. "Will that suffice?" She inquired, looking at the rest of them. Adam hummed in surprise, admiring her handiwork.

"That amount of power and detail...you're definitely more powerful than you let on. I expected nothing less from one of Natalya's Subs" he grinned. Alicia blushed and stood a bit straighter and Lana scoffed.

"Can you two focus? We can exchange compliments at the tea party later. We have a job to do" she growled. They all nodded and steeled themselves, going separate ways to begin their impromptu mission.

All the while, Roman and Corey were still at it, and it had gotten even more intense after Dean and Luke entered the fray. Roman and Dean had switched, with the fire hound trading fists with the war god, uncaring of the damage happening to his own body. He didn't even feel it because of the anger radiating off of him.

Corey summoned a shield, blocking the rapid-fire punches coming from Dean, grinning like a madman. It's been awhile since he had an opponent like Dean, one that just didn't know when to quit. He pushed the shield forward to get Dean off balance before he punched him in the gut. Dean coughed violently, but didn't allow himself to stumble, instead uppercutting Corey hard, fist blazing. Corey stumbled, grip on his shield loosening for a moment. He shook his head to gather his bearings, but wasn't fast enough to move when Roman tossed Luke into him. He grunted in pain and rolled violently in the opposite direction. He growled and looked up, rolling his neck as he pushed Luke off of him. They both stood, glaring across the gap at the two Cerberus men, who looked just as ready to kill them as they were.

Corey and Luke lunged first, both of them roaring in rage. A pink plume landed between them and they were knocked back none too gently, with Gale screeching loudly from above while Natalya stood, eyes glowing a fiery hot pink color. "I would stop right there if I were you" she threatened, her hands gripping both ends of her whip tight. Corey spit in one direction and picked his shield back up, summoning a spear as well while Erick lumbered over to them, his jumpsuit, hands, and mouth covered in blood, a low growl permeating from underneath his mask. Dean and Roman stood at Natalya's sides, of tense silence passing between the six.

Then all hell broke loose.

Seth jolted at the loud explosion that came from nearly a mile away, his head whipping around in the direction of the sound. Abby stopped as well, looking up from the child she was helping out of an overturned car.

"What the hell was that?!" He barked, seeing a pillar of ice rise before being shattered, a huge plume of flame engulfing it. His heart raced and he felt a sinking feeling and a tug on his shoulder. Looking around, he saw Adam looking at him, lolipop dangling from his lips.

"We have a mission to finish. They'll be alright. The sooner we can get these civilians to safety, the sooner you can go see what the hell is going on. I need you to focus just a little bit more right now. It's going to be alright." He said soothingly. Seth clenched his fist before nodding and turning in the opposite direction, settling his scythe on his back before he tilted his two toned head back and howled.

Adam hardly blinked when the two toned wolf ran past him, a small gust blowing his hair and his clothes slightly. He hummed thoughtfully, moving his lollipop from one side of his mouth to the other as he grabbed his strawberry pendant. He felt the pulse of the spirits from within it and snatched it off of it's chain, holding it out wordlessly.

Several more Rosebuds emerged from the red pendant and he nodded towards the side of the bridge they hadn't gotten to cover. "Go to the end of the bridge and work back this way. We've been on this mission for way too long. Time is running out." He stated firmly, eyes dark. They nodded and dispersed, flying towards one end of the bridge in a series of multicolored lights.

As she flew around assessing who needed to be saved, Lana noticed a peculiar van speeding _away_ from the commotion. She growled and spread her wings a little further apart, speeding down the way towards them. "Rusev, after them!" She hissed, flapping her powerful wings. Rusev looked up from the woman he was helping onto the tortoise when he heard Lana's voice. He growled and made sure the woman was safely on board the illusion before bolting towards the sound of her voice. Each footstep created a deep indent in the ground and with a roar, he launched himself, jumping and closing the distance, the full weight of his body slamming onto the roof of the armored car. It caved in and swerved violently, nearly throwing him off.

Lana landed a few feet in front of the truck, eyes glowing as she held her hand up, feeling her magic pulse in her fingertips as the invisible threads connected to every single vein and artery in the driver's body. With an emotionless gaze, she clenched her fist, immediately closing and bursting every single one. There was an audible wet sound sound, and blood splattered onto the windshield, the vehicle swerving to and fro. Rusev ripped the door off the hinges and threw the bloodied dead weight of the driver out of the truck, taking control and stopping it abruptly, a hair's breadth away from Lana. Her feathers and a few stray hairs from her bun blew with the heated wind, but she only placed her hand atop the hood of the truck.

"Rusev, I feel something in the back." She said simply. The hulking man jumped out of the truck and walked around, grabbing the locked back doors and pulling. It proved to be much more resilient than he originally thought, so he dug his heels a bit deeper into the concrete, pulling it off completely with a snarl. It flew the opposite way and he opened the doors, blinking when he saw a woman chained to the floor, eyes wide and full of tears.

Lana blinked curiously when Rusev emerged from view again with the woman slung over his shoulder. She seemed more frantic when she saw the other Wyatt female, mumbling quickly under the duct tape around her mouth. Lana ripped it off without a care, grinning when the woman shrieked in pain.

"Jesus Christ!-"

"Don't you know its rude to speak of another deity while standing in front of one?" Lana hummed, crossing her arms. The woman stared at her before she wiggled. "Put me down! I can tell you what you need to know about Bischoff and what he's doing! Just don't kill me" she pleaded. Lana rolled her eyes and motioned for Rusev to follow her.

"Give her to the Authority. She whines too much for my liking" She grumbled.

Abby sighed when she noticed everything start to slowly quiet down. Most of Bischoff's mutants were dead, but they managed to apprehend and neutralize a few, while most of the drivers were completely out of commission. She motioned for Alicia to take the tortoise to shore when Rusev passed the mystery woman to her, watching the fox steer the slow-moving illusion to the shore.

The only thing left to do was keep the others from completely destroying the bridge.

She turned and started to make her way back to them in her mist form when she was stopped abruptly by a powerful pressure suddenly falling over the whole bridge, making the air heavy.

_Shit._

She stopped abruptly, the black and gold mist glittering as one serpent skin boot stepped out of the mist, followed by another. She slowly let the mist fade, standing and looking across the gap at her eldest brother. He looked up slowly, the rim of his straw hat casting a shadow over his eyes. Those eyes lit up when he saw Abigail standing before him.

"Sister...it's been much too long, hasn't it?" he cooed, voice ominous. Abigail swallowed thickly, Brim and Luna standing at either of her feet, growling lowly at the dark air swirling around Bray as he spoke. "Come here. Give your brother a warm hug" Abigail clenched her fists, dread filling her heart.

"Bray, I'm dead."

"You're right in front of me"

"You know just like I do that I'm only here because of the Necronomicon. I didn't ask to come back. Look at me!" She snapped. Bray's smile faltered, head tilting to the side. A tense silence passed.

"I am looking. You're my little sister-"

"I'm a fucking _monster_ , Bray! Are you that drunk off of sorrow that you don't see me for what I am?! I'm a soul dragged out of the afterlife because you couldn't let it go. I love you...I love Bo...But I'm _dead!_ " She screamed, a ghoulish blast nearly knocking Bray off of his feet. His eyes widened and his lips parted ever so slightly. Neither of them had noticed the fighting around them come to a stop, all eyes on the two. Bray chuckled, his smile returning.

"Abigail, you shouldn't say such bad things. Come here." He ordered a bit more firmly, opening his arms. Abigail shook her head slowly, a few tears rolling down her cheeks. She found it funny in a cruel way how she could cry with no eyes.

"Bray, you've gone mad. The Necronomicon, being around me, your denial, it's made you go insane. I...I can't be near you. I refuse to lose my brother to madness more than I already have. I am not the Abigail you and Bo call a sister. I...I am the goddess princess of the Underworld, bringer of nightmares and Madness. Please just-stay away from me" She whispered, but her words felt like a screech to him, piercing his ears. His eyes teared up and he shook his head, rage flaring.

"Come _**Here!**_ " He snarled, a blast of powerful black magic shocking the whole bridge, knocking cars-and the remaining Wyatts and Authority members- over. Abby flew a few feet away, hitting the ground hard. Bray's rage immediately disappeared when he saw her hit the ground.

"Abby-"

"You're not well, Bray. Your sanity is gone and it's because of me. Please...for the sake of Bo and yourself, leave me alone. Burn the Necronomicon. Your sister is dead. Pretend you never had one. Have Leighla wipe your memory...Goodbye, Bray" She coughed and sat up, tears rolling down her cheeks. Bray reached for her but she turned into the mist and flew by him, flying right to Seth and hiding within his mind. The two toned wolf shuddered, shaking his large head before he looked over to Bray, tail drooping sadly.

Bray stood with his hand still outstretched for a moment before turning around, his hurt and rage-filled eyes turning onto the lupine man he once called a friend.

Abigail ran to him instead of her own brother.

Bray stared at the wolf for the longest time, the tension almost suffocating them all. After a solid minute or two, Bray looked down, his hat casting a shadow over his eyes. He opened a dark corridor, an eerie chuckle leaving his lips as he turned and walked through it. It remained open, an obvious order from the dark Lord. One by one, the Wyatts filed in through the corridor, with Bo being the last with Adam supporting him. His arm was a mangled mess and his head was bleeding profusely. He looked back at Seth-just as Bray did-breathing ragged. He had one obvious question written all over his face and screaming through his gaze before he was guided through the portal;

_'Why you?'_

(HD, Midnight)

Hunter rubbed his tired eyes as he looked over the Authority members around the table.

"Okay. The woman we brought in-Dixie-said she would speak to us and spill everything she knows about Bischoff's plans and main base of operations as long as we agree to protect her. I personally think if she knows that much, she's probably had an important hand in whatever the fuck he thinks he's doing, but she's our best bet right now. As for the mutants, we've got Karma and the Usos doing their best to reverse the chemical alterations so they can revert back to normal. Is there any questions or comments?" He grumbled, looking around the table. It was silent, most eyes flying over to Seth, who had his gaze on the table the whole time.

Roman and Dean noticed this and growled, both of them pressing close against Seth's side, the former even throwing a tattooed arm around the cat's shoulders, lip curling as he _dared_ someone to comment.

Natalya wasn't fazed.

"Since no one else will, I'll address the elephant in the room. Seth, what the hell is going on with Abigail and her brothers?" She inquired. Roman growled, but she only cocked a brow, daring him to actually say something.

"Abby...obviously is not being happy with being brought back. She...feels as if she's a monster. She has issues controlling her own powers sometimes. She has her own nightmares. What's worse is the period in which Alexa had control of her, she was underneath Bray the whole time. The Necronomicon's scriptures can drive the fragile-minded to insanity alone. Both of them obviously took it far worse than any of the rest of us. Bray was always more over protective of her and Bo than anyone so that and the Necronomicon was all it took for him to go insane. Add the exposure to Abigail when she had no control over her own nightmares, and Bray's completely lost it. He sees her as she was before she died instead of what she is now-"

"A monster…" Kaitlyn trailed off. Seth sent her an offended look, jaw clenching. "She's not a monster!" He hissed, slamming his palms onto the table, ears perked and the hair on his tail bristled. Kaitlyn flinched and shuffled back, a wave of sudden, unexpected submission rolling over her. The Doms in the room stared with wide eyes before looking at him.

"Are we done? Getting thrown around a bridge is tiring." He growled through gritted teeth. Hunter clicked his tongue and nodded slowly. "Yeah...yeah, we're done." he stated. Seth nodded and waited until Roman and Dean had gotten up before he stormed out. Hunter rubbed his temples.

"What the fuck is going on around here?" he growled while Shawn rubbed his shoulders.

(WM)

Leighla jolted as she heard a crash from upstairs. Her brows knitted up in worry as he looked up, staring at the ceiling as if it would open up and show her the raging man above. She shook her head when there was another crash, followed by a roar. The whole Manor shook, and Leighla had to hold onto a railing so she wouldn't fall over. Bayley trembled, curling up beside Sami on the couch.

"S-Should we go do something?" She inquired. Luke, who was staring out of the window, shook his head slowly. "No...no." he droned, and Erick nodded from beside him, tilting his head as another slam was heard from above.

Bray's room was utter chaos. There were holes in the wall and the world seemed to be spinning around him. He saw flashes of his past, his sister's young, lively face. He heard her voice echo in his head over and over countless time.

The smile on her happy face.

The laugh she shared with them

The pale blue of her dead lips, the black and white they held now

The scream of terror she had to let out before she died, all by herself.

"No...no no no no no no no no NO NO NO NO **NO!** " Bray screamed and threw a table clean out of the window, clutching his head as Abigail's voice screamed in his head. He slid to the ground, rocking uncontrollably as tears ran down his cheeks.

_'Bray, I'm dead._

_I didn't ask to come back._

_I'm a fucking monster._

_Stay away from me_

_...Goodbye, Bray'_

Bray snarled, pulling his hair as his chest felt like it was tightening. He didn't understand why Abigail was so unhappy. He went through hell and high water to get the Necronomicon from the then-more powerful Lord of the fucking Underworld, he started this whole 'Family' to honor her and bring justice to those like the ones who took her very life.

But still, she's unhappy.

Still she cries. She runs from him.

Right to _him._

Bray had a moment of clarity. His fingers twitched, brows furrowing up as his mind began racing. He was always there. She ran to him when they were children because she was afraid of the bullies, but more afraid of what Bray and Bo would do to them. She ran to him when she was freed from Alexa's mind control. She ran to him...she ran to him to run from her own kin.

"She...ran to **Seth** " Bray growled lowly, eyes cloudy.

All of this...this praise he's been giving the cat, nearly losing members of his 'Family' to retrieve him...and he's been stealing the most precious person in his life..

Bray's head lolled back and he chuckled, body rumbling with rage but still...oddly calm. He let his eyes roll to the ceiling, tears free falling down his face, but he didn't feel them anymore. He knew the root of his problems. He knew how to get his sister back.

"I'm going to snatch her right out of your two toned head, _**Seth**_ " He spat, lips curling up, a chuckle booming from his core and resounding through the halls of the Wyatt Manor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Goddess & God of the Chapter)
> 
> ***Athena***
> 
> Goddess of Wisdom and Strategic Warfare, Athena was a motherless child, and instead of being born from a womb, she sprang out of Zeus' head, fully grown and fully clothed in armor.
> 
> Often considered Zeus' favorite child, Athena aided many heroes-Hercules and Jason included-in their time of need. She, along with Artemis and Hestia are virgin goddesses.
> 
> Owls, Olive Trees, Spears, an Aegis (a shield of goatskin) and Armor are some of her symbols.
> 
> ***Ares***
> 
> God of War, Ares was known for his insatiable lust for warfare. Ares represented all the aggression and rage needed to win wars, but he was just as feared as he was worshipped.
> 
> Ares is one of (and probably her favorite) Aphrodite's lovers, and is the father of Cupid in some literature. According to Homer's writings, both Zeus and Hera (Ares' parents) hated him.
> 
> The Amazons were the daughters of him and a nymph named Harmony.
> 
> Dogs, Spears, Boars, and Armor are some of his symbols.
> 
> ***Characters of the Goddess & God
> 
> Athena- Paige
> 
> Ares-Corey Graves***


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally the Ao3 is caught up to the FF :D

Dean was startled awake by the sound of sobbing tugging at the front of his mind, snatching him out of his slumber and bringing him into the world of consciousness once more. He blinked owlishly, squinting to adjust to the bathroom light streaming into the room. As he sat up, he noticed-with mild annoyance-that Roman and Seth were still sound asleep.

He padded to the bathroom, seeing the curled up, shaking form of Abigail sitting within the tub, looking smaller than she actually was as she trembled. Brimstone and Luna were sitting on the outside of the tub, ears twitching sadly as they watched the goddess princess, clearly unaware as to how to proceed.

Dean hummed and walked over to her, reaching down to gently uncurl her from the small ball. She whimpered, moving to get out of his grip, but there was nowhere to go, so she gave up just as easily, going limp as he picked her up bridal style. She didn't move, and Dean couldn't be so sure she wasn't staring at him at that particular moment. With her face blank and no eyes to see, he couldn't read the black and white living dead girl.

Without a word, he carried her out of the room, silently making his way past the bed and out of the door as well, with the two hounds following in tow. Abigail's bare feet bobbed as Dean descended a flight of stairs, heading out of the back door and walking out into the colorful garden Natalya had been keeping up since they came to the mansion.

He set Abigail down and crossed his arms, taking a deep breath before looking over at her. She remained standing there, unmoving as she suddenly found the floor much more interesting. He rubbed his jaw and spoke to her for the first time, voice carrying off slightly with the wind.

"Abigail, do you know what it means to be alive?"

She tensed, brows furrowing and head snapping up to look at him. He looked around the garden, however, taking it in silently. She clenched her fists, lip curling up. "Do you think this is a joke?! Do you think you can stand there and joke about my condition like it's nothing?" She hissed, stomping to stand right in his face. He didn't look her way, keeping his eyes on a small spider crawling over a flower petal.

"Answer me. Do you know what it means to be alive?"

Abigail snarled temper flaring, emotions raw.

"No! I only know what it means to **die!** " She barked a powerful pulse shaking throughout the garden, all the plant and insect life dying instantly. Dean watched the vibrant colors all wilt and turn black, the spider he was looking at falling limp to the ground. He hummed, collecting his thoughts before he looked at her.

"There are people who live their lives and never really feel 'alive'. You're technically dead, but there's no reason you can't live. You're here now, you fight beside us. Living is all about making the most of what you're dealt with" He stepped closer, grabbing her shoulders. Out of the corner of her vision, she saw some color start to come back to the garden she had just killed. Gasping, she looked over at the flowers, mesmerized as the wilted flowers began to pick up, the brown slowly bleeding away to another vibrant color.

"I...I killed them...h-how?"

"Even through death, you can learn to live again"

Abby shook, looking at the small spider as it crawled up the stem of a rose, weaving past its thorns. Dean ruffled her hair. "You died once. Take that and use it as motivation to live now. We're at war right now, and this is all raw and personal to you, but trust me, we'll take care of it and once this is over, we can help you learn to live again. It doesn't matter if your heart doesn't beat. It doesn't matter if you don't have eyes. You're here and that's good enough in my eyes" He hummed before chuckling.

"You know, for a goddess, you have a surprisingly _human_ way of thinking. The way I see it, we're not humans-that's what this whole mess is about, isn't it? We don't play by all of their human rules, so why should that apply to our definition of life or death? I promise you, when this is all over, you'll be more alive than you've ever been."

A small shade of red came to her cheeks, the first time he'd ever seen that. She shuffled and smiled up at him, and if he didn't know any better, he could've sworn for a split second that she looked...normal, a blurred vison of fleshy tones and bright brown eyes looking up in joy. He blinked and shook it off, seeing the two toned skinned girl he was used to. His eyes widened slightly, unsure of what he'd just witnessed.

"Is...Is it okay for me to sleep in your mind for tonight?" She inquired. He blinked in surprise. "In my mind? Are you sure you want to do that? There's a lot going on inside of there" He warned. She shuffled more before nodding. "Trust me, there's a lot more going on inside mine. Just for tonight? I promise I'll leave immediately if you start having a nightmare" She whined quietly. He chuckled and closed his eyes, pressing their foreheads together.

"I'm sure I can take whatever wimpy nightmare you got for me. Get in here, it's about time you sleep." He mumbled. Silence was his response, and he knew before he opened his eyes that she was gone, already curled up within the confines of his unhinged mind. He exhaled, taking one survey of the once-more vibrant garden. It was Natalya's own creation, all kept alive by a lone phoenix feather in the center of it all. Nothing in there could die for good unless the feather was removed. But Abigail didn't need to know that.

Dean stuffed his hands in his pockets and headed back inside.

(WM)

Sasha's leg bounced irritably as she watched Lana meticulously go over notes about the previous mission-one Omega Team wasn't even considered to go on. The Egyptian goddess had spent the whole night writing down the (few) things right the two things did and the (many) things wrong they did. The witch was annoyed beyond belief.

"So...why exactly were we not even notified about this mission?" She inquired, jaw ticking in annoyance. Lana hardly moved from her spot, feathers ruffling for a moment before they tucked themselves in neatly, pressed against her back. Sasha growled.

"I'm talking to you!" She snarled. Lana turned her head, eyes narrowed as she glared at the smaller woman. "I am going over notes. This is more important than whatever whining you are doing. _We_ went because we are the Beta Team. I do not make the rules, Sasha. If you want to be out there, you and your team need to get better"

Sasha huffed, jumping off of the table, storming past Lana. "I don't need to be lectured by you about teamwork. Your team's compatibility is in shambles. The mission was compromised because Bo started rampaging. And speaking of Paige, for her and Corey to be Alpha members, they sure as fuck didn't stay on track for too long before almost ruining the mission! Don't give me your bullshit, Lana. Save that for someone mindless that will listen to it. That's why you've got Rusev though, isn't it?"

Lana slammed her palms onto the table before turning abruptly, eyes narrowing when she saw that Sasha had left the room. Her lip curled up and she looked down at her notes, shaking her head before running a hand down her face.

How stressful.

As soon as Sasha left the room, she stopped outside of the door, feeling eyes on her. She looked to her left, seeing Sami leaning against a wall, head resting on it as he watched her from the corner of his eyes. She clenched her fists, glaring back at him unblinkingly. He pushed himself off of the wall and motioned for her to follow him. She nodded hesitantly and shuffled quickly to catch up to him.

He headed out of the mansion, walking towards Liberty Ville. Sasha exhaled, casting a quiet fire spell as the chill made goosebumps rise on her skin. Three Will-O-Wisps appeared, gently floating around them in a circular pattern as they walked on. Sami put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her in close.

"I understand you're angry, Sasha. We can't turn on each other, though. You've got to turn that anger into something progressive. If we turn on each other now, there's no telling what could happen. We've already got an entire team out of commission and we've lost a member of the Family. Two if you count Abigail"

Sasha looked down, one hand coming up to squeeze Sami's wrist that was on her shoulder. "I just...I just want things to be normal for us. I don't want to fight all my life, Sami" She whispered, looking up at the thriving and vibrant city. She could see Ginger-the Lamia-setting up her shop outside, waving to people as she set out some sample sweet buns for customers to try out, a bright, almost glowing smile on her face as she slithered around.

There were children running through the streets, laughing and playing while elderly hybrids and elementals sat on stoops, wrinkled faces smiling as they watched on. Sami hummed, pulling Sasha closer as a gust rolled by. The Wisps drew in closer as well and Sami let out a sigh.

"Our fight may be over soon. It may be far from over, but I do know you'll be able to rest and find peace. We all will. That's why we're fighting, so that one day, all of us and our Family won't have to" he hummed. Sasha smiled and put her head on Sami's chest.

"If you want...You can join them." He added, noticeably quieter than before. Sasha's brows furrowed, confusion on her face. Sami didn't look at her.

"If you want to be at peace. You can join them in LV. Leave Omega Team so you don't have to fight anymore. I'm your Captain, but more importantly, I'm your friend. I don't want you putting your life on the line if you don't want to fight"

He had barely finished the sentence before the Wisps flared up and Sasha stiffened by his side. "Sami, you know better! I would never abandon Omega Team for any reason!" she pulled away from him and glared, fists clenched tighter than before. "You guys...this Family...you're all I have! You, Bayley, Emma...you've had my back through some hard times. When it's time to stop fighting, we'll _all_ stop fighting. Together." She murmured. Sami looked over her for a long moment before a crooked smile came to his face. He reached out and pulled Sasha against him, hugging her tight.

Slightly trembling hands came around to hug him back, the Wisps resuming their gentle, swaying dance around the two.

(10 Am, Bischoff Inc. HQ)

Eric rubbed his temples as he sat in the mind-numbing briefing, feeling a headache come on as he conferenced with leaders from around the world.

_"Bischoff! What are you going to do about this? You promised a solution to control those beasts!"i >_

_**"The whole weaponization project was supposed to remain under wraps. We simply cannot go on with the hybrids rebelling so violently. We'll start an all-out war!"** _

_**_"Hmph! Are you blind? There's already a war going on. Don't you see those psychopath hybrids and that so-called vigilante hybrid group causing us trouble? They've already planted the seeds of curiosity and rebellion into the minds of these animals!"_ ** _

_"Enough!" Eric snarled, slamming his palms on the table to stifle the chattering coming from the monitors. There was immediate silence and he growled, lip curling up as he looked at each monitor._

_"I can assure you that this situation will be handled. If I had it my way, there wouldn't be any more of those _freaks_ on this damn planet. But since systematic genocide is hard to pull off when your opponents have powers, we'll start with this. Control them. Create an army. Eradicate the rest. That is all. No more questions, I need to think" he growled, turning and walking away, ignoring the squawking coming from the monitors._

_When he stepped out, he heard notes carrying through the halls. His jaw set and he briskly headed to his right, stopping in front of a room. He pushed open the door and clicked his tongue, watching the young man inside play the piano. He sat hunched over the keys, clawed fingers surprisingly gentle on each one._

_A sour note was struck._

_"Dad...when are you going to change me back?" He inquired, his voice a rough gurgle. Eric clicked his tongue and ran a hand down his face. "I don't know, Garett. As soon as we can find a powerful enough hybrid, we can change you back" He muttered. Garett let out a snarl, standing abruptly._

_"You said you would change me back! You said you could do it quickly! The bitch that made me like this is dead, so you have to fix it!" He barked. Eric hardly blinked, pulling out a small remote from his pocket. Garett's eyes widened and he tried to back down, but a powerful jolt coursed through his body from the collar around his neck. He whimpered and collapsed, curling up and trembling._

_"You will not raise your voice to me, boy. I know Stephanie is dead. There aren't many powerful beings that can change humans to hybrids and vice versa. I will change you back, just shut the fuck up and _wait_ " he growled. Garett slumped back, whining as he crawled onto a mattress that was on the floor. His tattered ears pressed down and he avoided his father's eyes at all costs. Eric grunted and turned, promptly walking away._

_He wished he could bring her back._

_Just to kill her with his own damn hands._

__(3 years ago. . .)_ _

__"What do you mean, our idea has been denied?!" Eric boomed. He glared across the table at the long-haired brunette sitting with her legs crossed. The feline ears on her head twitched slightly and he could see her tail swaying lazily behind her as she sat in her chair._ _

__"I've told you before. You will not use anyone as test subjects for weapons under my watch, Eric. You're not fooling anyone. I'm aware of your...prejudices towards hybrids. Just because you want to use hybrids that have been incarcerated doesn't distract me from the fact that you wish to torture them and use them as lab rats to ultimately become weapons in a war that isn't even going on"_ _

__Eric laughed, anger bubbling up inside him, although he did well to not let it spill out. Any show of weakness, and Stephanie would tear into him without remorse._ _

__Not that he wanted it from the likes of her, anyway._ _

__"Listen, Stephanie. I understand where you're coming from, but we must always be ahead of the other countries. Have weapons before they do so we have the advantage. How do you think we won World War two?"_ _

__Stephanie was hardly impressed, and Shawn made a tut of amusement from beside her as she glared at Eric. The older man hissed in response. "Are you even supposed to be here, **pet?** " He growled. He barely had the time to smirk at his own little quip before a hammer embedded itself in the wall right above his head. His eyes widened and Stephanie sat a bit straighter, eyes deceivingly calm as she looked at him. Hunter-who was at her side-wagged his finger in an 'ah ah ah' manner, as one would do to a child. The whole time, his head remained down, tucked under his arms. Eric would bet money that the buffoon was sleeping through the majority of the meeting._ _

__"You will not speak to Shawn in that manner. He's here because I **said** he could be here. Do not try to divert the attention away from yourself. Find a new way to create weapons without going after my race, or I can easily replace you with someone competent enough to do it."_ _

__Eric ground his teeth together, standing and pushing himself away from the table. He bit out a bitter 'yes, ma'am' before making his way out, fists clenched and trembling at his sides. He was going to kill her one day, he'd make sure of it. There was no reason a cat should be in charge of such a powerful organization._ _

__He grunted, rolling his eyes as he headed into his lab to work on more formulas. Stephanie be dammed, he'd find a way to create his weapons. If it was one things these animals were good for, it was fighting._ _

__(Later . . .)_ _

__It was of course Garett and his damn ego that made it all happen._ _

__They were celebrating the success of a project within the organization to liberate a set of hybrids (ugh.) at a rented out all. Garett had started to think with his second head and began flirting with one of the receptionists, sliding up to her with his rugged charm and a sideways smirk, trying to entice her into bed with him._ _

__This all wouldn't have happened if she wasn't one of **them** and if she could've kept her damn mouth shut._ _

__The younger Bischoff had said something lewd, and that didn't sit well with the mouse-like girl. Apparently, she had been avoiding his advances all night and it all came to a head when Garett had reached to touch her. She slapped him, screaming in anger before storming away-to the Hart woman talking to business partners across the room. As soon as they exchanged words, Natalya was storming through the crowd, pink flames following her as the smaller weasel girl smirked from behind._ _

__"How **DARE** you!" She snarled, shoving him. Garett stumbled, an arrogant, lazy smirk on his face despite the fact that he was standing in front of one of the most powerful beings in all of the company. "Relax. She should take it as a compliment that I'd even consider fucking a rat like her."_ _

__The plumes flared and AJ growled from behind Natalya . Before she could charge, Stephanie pushed her back with an effortless movement, standing between them. Garett cocked an amused brow._ _

__"Here to join the fun, bosslady?" He cooed._ _

__Stephanie, however, was hardly impressed. She placed a hand on his head and proceeded to squeeze, her thumb and pinky pressing into his temples. Panic ran through him as he tried to struggle free, seeing Stephanie's hand glowing a dull grey color._ _

__"If you and your father can't learn to act civil, I'll just have to **make** you." she growled, rearing back and slamming the back of his head through the wall. A collective gasp came from the crowd and Stephanie tsked in annoyance, releasing his head just as Eric came running._ _

__By time he reached his son, the man was slumped onto the floor, blood streaming down his forehead as a pair of mangled, stray-dog like ears lay upon his head. Eric stopped short, eyes widening while Garret placed a hand on the floor to push himself up._ _

__A big, clawed hand._ _

__And then he looked up. Eric almost fainted. His own son was looking at him, with an overbite from hell, fangs protruding from under his bottom lip. Eric turned to Stephanie in rage._ _

__"What the hell did you do to my son?!" He snarled. Stephanie hummed, straightening herself. "You and your son are very lucky to be alive. You're rude, disrespectful, and incredibly violent. Consider this your last warning. The next time, I won't be so nice. I'll change Garett back when I feel he's learned his lesson. Until then, consider yourself one of the "filthy animals", as your father so eloquently puts it" Stephanie hissed before turning and leaving Garett on the floor._ _

_Eric clenched his fists. Stephanie had remained adamant about not changing Garett back. Before Eric could find a way to beat it out of her, Taker took her life. Never before had the elder Bischoff felt so bittersweet in his life._

_So now they're here. With Garett still a beast and Eric hating to even look his son in the face. He'd find someone to reverse this. And after that, he'd make sure Hunter and his band of misfits would all burn in Hell and take those Wyatts with them._

_(WM)_

_Bray rocked quietly in his chair, head down and eyes barely open as he was lost in the sound of his own thoughts. Eric was sitting on the floor, gnawing on the femur of some human he'd killed recently, mask covering his eyes. Luke was sitting in a corner, staring blankly at a window._

_Scattered on the floor were pictures of Seth, all with the eyes and mouths crossed out._

_A slow, quiet chuckle left Bray's lips as he swayed._

_"Anyone but you, Seth. Anyone...but you."_

_(HD)_

_A shiver ran down Seth's spine as he sat outside on the grass. A lone drop fell from the sky, landing on his nose before another followed suit. The cat hissed in disapproval as the rain began falling, scrambling to get up and collect his guns that were sprawled over the grass. He was explaining to Abigail how the elemental pistols worked._

_She hardly reacted, quietly looking up before holding her hand out, feeling each cool drop on her skin. Brim and Luna blinked in confusion, feeling every drop sizzle off of their heated fur upon contact. Abigail stood quietly, her dress already soaked through and hanging past her knees._

_"Abby c'mon!" Seth shrieked, making a beeline for the mansion. Abigail hummed, slowly making her way through the grass. She didn't understand why Seth was so frantic to get her inside, but she found it adorable and amusing. Luna and Brim had taken off towards Seth when he started running, a trail of steam following them._

_A small graceful smile came to her face as she made her way towards the house. It was hard adjusting, but she had gotten attached to her new family. As soon as she stepped foot through the door, a towel was placed on her head. She shuffled and whined, feeling strong hands ruffle her head around, drying her two toned hair and face before the towel was placed on her shoulders._

_She looked up, seeing Roman nod in approval at the damp, messy mound of black and white hair on her head. She frowned slightly. "You do know I'm dead, right? I cannot get a cold" she muttered. Roman cocked a brow. "I don't care about all the technical stuff. You're family and I'm going to make sure you're not soaked to the bone. C'mon, let's get you into some new clothes" He cooed, steering her deeper inside after making her step out of her calf-high boots. Mix-matched wet feet padded against the cold tile floors as she walked with him up to his, Seth, and Dean's room._

_"Alright, get the hell out, let me get Abby a change of clothes" He ordered, finding the two rough housing on the bed after Seth shook himself out, water flying onto an once-sleeping Ambrose. Dean caught Seth and dragged him out while Roman picked some of his smaller clothes for the girl to wear. He knew it would be much too big for her, but at least it would be warm._

_Abigail shuffled as she waited outside, startling when Roman peeked out of the room. "What are you waiting for? I'm not going to make you get dressed in the hallway. C'mon, I laid some clothes out for you on the bed" He motioned to the room before stepping out so she could have some privacy inside. Slowly, Abby walked in the room, looking down at the overgrown night shirt on the bed and the worn out pair of pajama pants._

_She smiled softly and grabbed the clothes after stepping out of her own. The wet clothes disappeared in a sparkling mist on command. She could tell Roman that she could've just conjured up another outfit, but the thought was banished from her mind just as fast as it had come to it. It was nice to be looked after._

_Her hands fell at her sides as she looked down, thinking of her brothers. She felt like she was betraying them, pushing them away to join a new family. But things had to be this way. She couldn't stand being the cause of all that distress for her family._

_A gentle sigh left her lips as she stepped out into the hallway, finding Seth purring as he nuzzled close to Roman (who was petting him). Dean snubbed out his cigarette and grinned, smiling wide when he saw the small ghost girl._

_"Well don't you look adorable?" He teased. If Abby had them, she would've rolled her eyes playfully at him. Instead, she pushed his chest and shuffled. "Cut it out. Shouldn't we be training?" She inquired. Seth went to interject, but his stomach did it for him, rumbling loudly._

_"Well, I guess it's been decided for us then. We'll go get something to eat instead" he grinned. Abby hummed and nodded, walking with them as they headed downstairs. She wished moments like these could last forever. It made her forget she was dead, forget that they were fighting. It made her feel like they could have a normal, calming life._

_As she reached the bottom of the stairs, Abigail startled herself with a sneeze._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, please review~  
> Until next time, I love you~  
> -Scarlet


End file.
